– Washington man arrested fatally shooting teen BB gun
– Washington man shooting teen BB gun arrested.
Accident – Death – Obituary News : A man from Washington has been taken into custody on a murder charge following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy who was returning a BB gun to a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in a Seattle suburb. Aaron Brown Myers, aged 51, informed the authorities that he believed the teenager and his companions were planning to rob the store and that he was concerned for the safety of his own 13-year-old son, who was attending a jujitsu class next door to the sporting goods store.
According to a probable cause statement from the Renton Police Department obtained by USA TODAY, Myers claimed that the teenagers were not heeding his instructions and that he felt threatened by one of them, believing that the individual was going to harm him. However, law enforcement officials state that surveillance footage contradicts much of Myers’ account.
The footage reveals that the teenager had set down the BB gun before the altercation took place. Three teenagers were observed heading towards the main entrance of the Big 5 store, with Myers, who identified himself as a licensed security guard, monitoring the situation from his car to provide “overwatch” while his son was in training. The video footage shows Myers approaching the teens with a gun in hand, pointing it directly at them, and then moving swiftly towards them. One of the boys removed a BB gun from his pocket, placed it on the ground, and extended his arms to demonstrate that he was not holding anything.
Myers proceeded to push the boy to the ground, straddle him, and aim the gun at the 17-year-old, who raised his hands to show that he was unarmed. The 17-year-old backed away with one hand in the air, but his right arm briefly lowered towards his waist area before he was shot and fell to the ground. Based on the footage, the arresting officer concluded that there was sufficient evidence to charge Myers with second-degree murder without premeditation.
The victim, identified as Hazrat Ali Rohani by Kent-Meridian High School Principal David Radford, was tragically killed in the incident. Myers, who was visibly distraught and tearful during police questioning, stated that he believed the teenagers were armed and about to commit a robbery, prompting him to take action to prevent harm to innocent individuals and protect his son.
The surviving teenagers explained to law enforcement that they had gone to the store to return or exchange Rohani’s BB gun due to technical issues. One of them also had his own BB gun with him to address a magazine problem. Both teenagers reiterated that they had informed Myers multiple times that they were carrying BB guns, but the situation escalated quickly, resulting in the tragic loss of life.
Rohani’s principal expressed deep sorrow over the incident, informing parents and students of the tragic passing of the student. The community is mourning the loss of a young life, and thoughts are with the friends and family of the victim during this difficult time. Myers’ case has yet to be heard in the King County Superior Court, and legal representation for him could not be located at the time of reporting. Contact attempts made to phone numbers listed in the police report went unanswered..
– Washington man arrested shooting teen
– Washington man fatally shooting teen.
