A teenage boy who was returning a defective airsoft gun to a sporting goods shop in Seattle was allegedly murdered by an off-duty security guard. The security guard has been charged with the crime.
According to court documents, 17-year-old Hazrat Ali Rohani was at a Big 5 store in Renton, Washington with his friends last Wednesday evening when Aaron Brown Myers, 51, approached the group with a real gun in his hand.
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According to his statement to investigators, he felt a sense of obligation to take action as he suspected that the teenagers were planning to rob someone. Despite repeatedly instructing them to surrender, the teenagers reportedly disregarded his commands.
The Independent has obtained a police statement which suggests that Myers’ version of events is at odds with the surveillance footage.
On Monday, court filings revealed that prosecutors accused the defendant of conducting “overwatch” in a Renton parking lot, even though he is not a member of law enforcement and has not received training on how to prevent crime safely.
In order to prevent Myers from fleeing or committing further violent offenses, the prosecutors have requested the judge to set his bail at $2 million.
According to sources, Myers had reportedly trailed an innocent person through two stores in 2022, under the false impression that they were carrying a firearm. During this incident, he had dialed 911 and allegedly made threatening remarks, claiming that he “might have to shoot.”
On Monday, charges were filed following two separate vigils held nearby for two young lives lost to gun violence in the Seattle area. Aayden Hayes, a 13-year-old, was tragically shot and killed in Bellevue on May 29th, while Amarr Murphy-Paine, a 17-year-old, lost his life while trying to break up a fight during lunch break at his high school in Seattle.
According to a statement of probable cause submitted by the Renton Police Department, Myers was visibly upset and in tears upon his arrest and even had to be provided with a trash can to vomit into.
After regaining composure, he informed the investigators that he held a valid license as a security guard and was performing voluntary “overwatch” duties in the parking lot due to the frequent occurrence of crimes in the area.
According to Myers, he believed that the boys were armed with a Glock and he didn’t have enough time to call 911. He approached them from the back and brandished his gun, commanding them to drop their weapons.
As per the police report, Myers asserted that the teenagers did not obey his commands to raise their hands.
According to prosecutors, the defendant took things further despite the teenagers’ compliance by tackling one of them and holding him to the ground, all while keeping his gun aimed at the other teens.
According to reports, the individual in question stated that his actions were aimed at stopping the first boy from reaching for the airsoft pistol that was already on the ground. However, it is worth noting that he failed to take the necessary precaution of securing the toy gun instead of attacking the teenager who was in possession of it.
According to Myers’ statement to the police, when one of the teenagers was ordered to stop, he reached for a gun in his waistband. Despite repeated orders, the teenager did not comply, leading Myers to fear for his own safety. As a result, Myers fired multiple shots at the teenager.
According to the police, the surveillance footage revealed that the boy briefly lowered his right hand towards his waist area before being shot.
According to the two surviving teenagers, they had informed Myers several times that they were only carrying “BB guns” when questioned by the police.
Airsoft guns are imitation firearms that discharge plastic pellets and are utilized in harmless shooting competitions akin to paintball. They are commonly known as BB guns in informal settings.
