An off-duty security guard accused of fatally shooting a teen trying to return an airsoft gun in a Renton mall parking lot last week has been charged with murder.
King County prosecutors charged Aaron Brown Myers, 51, of Newcastle on Monday with second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Hazrat Ali Rohani. He remained in jail with bail set at $2 million.
Myers Told Cops He Thought Rohani Would be Staging an Armed Robbery, Said He Had 'A Duty to Act'
As reported by The Seattle Times, On June 5, Rohani, a student at Kent-Meridian High School, was walking with two other teenage boys in the parking lot, where Myers was waiting to pick up his son from martial arts class.
Myers told police he regularly surveils the parking lot - as part of what he calls "overwatch" — because he has seen crimes occur there, according to the affidavit.
Myers said he saw one of the boys holding what appeared to be a gun, and thought the trio was about to stage an armed robbery at the sporting goods store. He told police he did not have time to call 911 and had "a duty to act" to prevent the boys from hurting someone, according to the affidavit.
Surveillance Cameras Contradicted Myers' Claim that the Teens Didn't Obey His Commands
Police later determined the boy's airsoft gun was in his pocket when Myers got out of his car, court records show. Surveillance camera footage captured outside the strip mall contradicted what Myers told detectives happened, including that the boys didn't obey his commands to stop and put their hands up, according to the affidavit.
The footage showed Myers get out of his car and rapidly approach the boys with his Glock 19 pointed at them. A teenager could be seen in the video putting his airsoft gun on the ground and raising his arms to show his hands were empty.
Myers Shot Rohani Even Though He Had His Empty Arms Raised Above His Head
Prosecutors said Myers then tackled that boy to the ground and straddled him while turning his gun on Rohani, who appeared to start backing away with his empty hands raised above his head, according to the affidavit.
Rohani appeared to start turning from Myers, his right arm briefly lowering, as if to run, before Myers shot him at least seven times — once in the side and at least six times in the back, according to the affidavit. The footage showed the teen jerk back before falling to the ground, clutching his abdomen, according to court records. Rohani died at the scene from gunshot wounds, according to a King County Medical Examiner's Office report.
Myers Previously Mistook Another Person Carrying a Gun, Followed the Person Because He Wanted to 'Intervene'
In March 29, 2022, Myers called 911 to report seeing a person on a bike pointing a gun at people. Myers followed the person through multiple stores because he thought he might have to "intervene" and shoot them.
However, when officers arrived, they quickly determined the person Myers was following was carrying a silver metal object that was likely a bicycle part and "posed no threat," according to a probable cause affidavit.
