A jury found an off-duty armed security guard guilty in the fatal 2024 shooting of a 17-year-old boy outside a sporting goods store in Renton.
Aaron Myers, 51, was convicted Friday, May 8, of murder and assault in the killing of Hazrat Ali Rohani following a trial that centered on whether Myers acted in self-defense or unlawfully escalated a situation involving teenagers carrying airsoft guns.
Prosecutors said Myers opened fire on Rohani and two other teens outside a Big 5 Sporting Goods store at the Renton Village Shopping Center in June 2024 after wrongly assuming they were about to commit an armed robbery.
According to court testimony, the teens had gone to the store seeking help with their BB guns when Myers confronted them in the parking lot.
Investigators said the teens initially complied with commands by putting their hands up and dropping the airsoft gun. Surveillance footage and witness testimony presented during the trial showed Myers continued firing after Rohani fell to the ground, prosecutors said.
Rohani was struck seven times, including six gunshots to the back, according to testimony.
One of the teens could be heard on surveillance video yelling, “What the f—, man?” while backing away with his hands raised before shots were fired, according to investigators.
Myers told detectives he believed the teens were armed with real firearms and posed an immediate threat. He also told investigators he felt he had a “duty to act” to protect his 13-year-old son, who was attending a nearby jiu-jitsu class at the time.
Police body camera footage shown to jurors captured Myers telling officers he believed one of the teens was reaching for a handgun.
Defense attorneys argued Myers was attempting to prevent violence and acted based on what he believed was an imminent threat.
Prosecutors countered that Myers acted on assumption rather than evidence and unlawfully escalated the encounter.
Authorities noted Myers was not employed to provide security for the shopping center where the shooting occurred.
Under Washington law, private citizens can only make an arrest if they directly witness a crime being committed. Prosecutors argued Myers had no legal authority to detain the teens based solely on suspicion that a crime might occur.
The jury reached its verdict after more than a week of testimony and deliberations.
Myers is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday, July 21. He faces a sentencing range of approximately 10 to 18 years in prison, including a firearm enhancement.
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