A Washington state man, Aaron Brown Myers, has been convicted of second-degree murder and assault after he shot and killed 17-year-old Hazrat Ali Rohani outside a Renton sporting goods store.
Myers, a 52-year-old off-duty security guard, believed he was preventing a robbery, but the teen was actually just returning a malfunctioning BB gun. Myers now faces decades in prison for his actions.
The Fatal Shooting
On the afternoon of the incident, Myers was in his car, waiting for his son to finish a martial arts class when he saw Rohani and two other teens carrying what he assumed was a Glock handgun. Believing the teens were about to rob the Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Renton, Myers confronted them with his own real Glock.
Prosecutors revealed that the boys were not armed with a real firearm but were instead returning a malfunctioning BB gun to the store. Despite the teens’ repeated pleas that the gun was fake, Myers ignored them and held the teens at gunpoint.
The Unjustified Shooting
As the confrontation escalated, Rohani, who went by Ali, dropped the BB gun and raised his hands in surrender. When he attempted to walk away, Myers shot him multiple times.
According to prosecutors, Myers fired seven shots in total, six of which struck Rohani in the back as he tried to flee. The teen fell to his knees and then face-first to the ground as Myers continued to fire.
Defense and Prosecution
In his defense, Myers’ attorney, Mark Middaugh, argued that his client acted in what he believed to be an attempt to prevent violence, noting that the BB gun looked real.
However, prosecutors argued that Myers acted solely on assumptions, deciding to label the teens as criminals without evidence. King County Prosecutor Elaine Lee stated that Myers had “self-appointed authority” to detain the teens, which led to the tragic and fatal shooting.
Legal Consequences
After the trial, the jury sided with the prosecution, convicting Myers of second-degree murder and assault. Myers faces between 20 and 28 years in prison for the murder charge, in addition to another 10 years for firearm enhancements. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21.
