WA-Teen returning airsoft gun to Renton store fatally shot by off-duty guard.

[Inthedetails]

Gracie Barra Renton
5.0 (88)·Martial arts school
Closed ⋅ Opens 11:30 AM
601 South Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057

yeah if that is location, that big Mac eating just hoping to see someone he could confront and shoot seems more and more likely. Parking near the school would not seem to put him on a path to bump into the teens heading to Big 5

Coming from a family who practices various types of martial arts, it's particularly annoying that he is "watchingover" with a gun, shooting at will. The first way to win a fight is NOT to get in a fight. Shooting a gun at an innocent teen in a parking lot is the opposite of the discipline of the martial arts.

jmo

 

[tlcya]

A Washington man charged in the murder of a 17-year-old boy shot the teen at least six times in the back and previously pursued another innocent person in 2022, telling police that he "might have to shoot," according to new details revealed in court documents obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.
[snip]
Myers, who says he's a licensed security guard, had been in the parking lot conducting what he said was "overwatch," something he does while his 13-year-old son goes to jujitsu class next to the Big 5. He told police he's seen numerous crimes occur there in the past and just wanted to keep his son safe.
[snip]
Hazrat begins to turn away from Myers, briefly lowering one of his raised arms in the direction of his waistband, at which point Myers opens fire, shooting the boy seven times, hitting him "once in the side and at least six times in the back," Burke wrote in the charging document.
Washington man shot teen 7 times after mistakenly suspecting him of planning robbery

his son is 13. I feel for that kid. Wonder what home life is/was like with this dad. Seems, how can I say this, er pretty tightly wound.

they confirm the matrial arts studio is next door to the Big 5 store and further confirm he not only shot the kid seven times, at least six of those were in the kids BACK.

This guy is a manace and he better never see the light of day again. My biggest fear is that some bigoted group with a larger agenda will bail him out.

 

[Deleted member 326769]

According to Google, there is a Gracie Barra Ju Jitsu location at the strip mall in unit H (in the space that used to have a clothing store called "Avenue"). The Big 5 is located directly next door.

Here is a street view from Google Maps. If you go to Google Maps and zoom in on the buildings, you can see the letter for each unit is written on the door. There's an H on the door of the "Avenue" store. (This photo is from 2018.)


View attachment 509795

Avenue is still there as far as I know. I was there last week. But I also don’t pay that much attention. When I looked it up, The martial arts is on the other side of Starbucks which is on the corner. So you can’t even see the big 5 from parking in front of the martial arts center. He’s full of poo. IMO

 

[JoeFromLB]

Shot seven times, six times in the back?! WTH?!
He needs to spend the rest of his years unarmed in a prison cell, thinking about what he did.

 

[iamshadow21]

Shot seven times, six times in the back?! WTH?!
He needs to spend the rest of his years unarmed in a prison cell, thinking about what he did.

And the other one in the side. None in the front. This kid was turning and running. Unarmed.

 

[sasha17]

Avenue is still there as far as I know. I was there last week. But I also don’t pay that much attention. When I looked it up, The martial arts is on the other side of Starbucks which is on the corner. So you can’t even see the big 5 from parking in front of the martial arts center. He’s full of poo. IMO

Perhaps there's a different martial arts place near the Starbucks? In this news article with a video clip from the scene, you can see the Gracie Barra sign directly next door to Big 5.

Teen shot, killed outside Renton Big 5 Sporting Goods

According to the Renton Police Department, a 51-year-old suspect is in custody.

www.king5.com

 

[Deleted member 326769]

Perhaps there's a different martial arts place near the Starbucks? In this news article with a video clip from the scene, you can see the Gracie Barra sign directly next door to Big 5.

Teen shot, killed outside Renton Big 5 Sporting Goods

According to the Renton Police Department, a 51-year-old suspect is in custody.

www.king5.com

View attachment 509804

I was wrong. Maybe they moved into that suite after the avenue left. I usually park, do whatever I came to do and leave without really looking. I’m usually in the pet store or Asian market and don’t really care about the rest

 

[tlcya]

A review of the surveillance footage did not match up with Myers' version of events, according to the complaint, and instead showed the man "escalating" the situation with "more and more violence," according to the complaint.

That footage allegedly shows Myers approaching the boys with his gun drawn and pointed at them, according to the complaint. It also allegedly shows the boys repeatedly telling him the weapon they appear to be carrying was a BB gun, and it does not show the teenager who was killed reaching for a gun at any point, say prosecutors.

That footage also shows the teenager's final moments.

"When [ the victim] hit the ground, he called out for his mom." says the complaint.

Then, the video allegedly shows Myers fire seven bullets, six of which hit the teen boy in the back as he tried to run away, according to the complaint.

Unarmed Boy Fatally Shot 6 Times in Back by Off-Duty Guard: Cops

My heart breaks for her. I cannot imagine the pain, the anger she must be feeling. I hope Aaron Brown Myers NEVER sees the light of day again.

I can't find any social media presence for him but haven't had much time to devote to searching. I want to know more about this unusual person.

 

[tlcya]

Myers security business lists its principal mailing address as
1420 Nw Gilman Blvd Ste 2 # 8015
Issaquah, WA, 98027-5333, United States

that is a mail drop/PO box location so it doesn't appear he has any actual office anywhere unless it is a home office. Since he is the only known employee of Midnight Sun Operations I think he may have formed the company because he wasn't finding work inthat field through other companies. If you really badly want to walk around pretending to have authority over someone and carry a gun performing random overwatch but nobody will hire you what do you? You might just form your own company. just speculating here.

ETA you can access PDFs of the company's annual report, registered agent, info etc here
Midnight Sun Operations LLC from Issaquah, WA – company details

in the doc titled scanned doc dated 3/01.2023 I believe his home address is listed. this is the initial document filed to start the process of forming his LLC and applying for his licensing for that business. That must have been prior to his renting teh PO Box at the mail center that is listed on later filings.

 

[Deleted member 326769]

It just keeps getting worse and worse. This is just so sad

 

[Inthedetails]

It just keeps getting worse and worse. This is just so sad

It is a shameful, violent, unnecessary, ignorant, arrogant act of inhumanity.

We have law enforcement and a justice system for a reason. We don't want people with deadly weapons thinking they can judge and sentence to death complete strangers in a shopping center parking lot.

Infuriating.

 

[formerlyme]

A Washington man charged in the murder of a 17-year-old boy shot the teen at least six times in the back and previously pursued another innocent person in 2022, telling police that he "might have to shoot," according to new details revealed in court documents obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.
[snip]
Myers, who says he's a licensed security guard, had been in the parking lot conducting what he said was "overwatch," something he does while his 13-year-old son goes to jujitsu class next to the Big 5. He told police he's seen numerous crimes occur there in the past and just wanted to keep his son safe.
[snip]
Hazrat begins to turn away from Myers, briefly lowering one of his raised arms in the direction of his waistband, at which point Myers opens fire, shooting the boy seven times, hitting him "once in the side and at least six times in the back," Burke wrote in the charging document.
Washington man shot teen 7 times after mistakenly suspecting him of planning robbery

his son is 13. I feel for that kid. Wonder what home life is/was like with this dad. Seems, how can I say this, er pretty tightly wound.

they confirm the matrial arts studio is next door to the Big 5 store and further confirm he not only shot the kid seven times, at least six of those were in the kids BACK.

This guy is a manace and he better never see the light of day again. My biggest fear is that some bigoted group with a larger agenda will bail him out.

6 shots in the back, I don't need anymore info.... case closed.... jmo

 

[tlcya]

6 shots in the back, I don't need anymore info.... case closed.... jmo

I'm just glad it's all on video, the boys NON agressing, dropping the airsoft guns, his continued escalation of things to violence at EVERY point in the confrontation. Right up until he murdered one. It should make this a slam dunk for prosecutors

 

[Falcon500]

I’ve never heard of civilians conducting “overwatch” in a retail parking lot before.


Even if his account is true and even if the three teenagers were going to commit armed robbery, this (still unnamed?) man should have called 911 and not escalated the situation by engaging them. What did he think would happen when he confronted supposed armed robbers?

Every police precinct has one or two self appointed vigilantes who are known to the police and are brushed off as nuisances. They don’t go around carrying real or fake guns necessarily but they do think they are helping.

 

[Deleted member 326769]

Good lord. I just realized his son probably witnessed the entire thing. Or at least after the first shot was fired. That poor boy probably watched his father shoot and kill a boy that was only four years older than himself. IMO

 

[sasha17]

Good lord. I just realized his son probably witnessed the entire thing. Or at least after the first shot was fired. That poor boy probably watched his father shoot and kill a boy that was only four years older than himself. IMO

The other children in the martial arts class were likely witnesses, too. How terrifying for all of them.

 

[tlcya]

Good lord. I just realized his son probably witnessed the entire thing. Or at least after the first shot was fired. That poor boy probably watched his father shoot and kill a boy that was only four years older than himself. IMO

I can only hope the students, including ABM's son, did not witness the shooting. I can't imagine a way they didn't witness at least the aftermath tho

 

[Curiousobserver]

The standard distribution of people's intelligence is what makes the second amendment problematic. Its the tails of the distribution that always get you.

 

[tlcya]

I'm kind of surprised this thread isn't more active. This case is outrageous.

Myers, who says he's a licensed security guard, had been in the parking lot conducting what he said was "overwatch," something he does while his 13-year-old son goes to jujitsu class next to the Big 5. He told police he's seen numerous crimes occur there in the past and just wanted to keep his son safe.
[snip]
The 2022 incident only proves that the Myers’ “self-imposed duty to intervene” is part of his regular approach to interacting with the public, senior deputy prosecuting attorney Lauren Burke wrote in a charging document
Washington man shot teen 7 times after mistakenly suspecting him of planning robbery

NEWCASTLE, Wash. — The man charged in the shooting death of a teen outside BIG 5 in Renton earlier this month was a member of the recently-established Public Safety Ad Hoc Committee in Newcastle.

The committee was announced on the city's website June 4. On June 5, Aaron Brown Myers allegedly shot and killed 17-year-old Hazrat Ali Rohani.
[snip]
A King County sheriff’s deputy in the area at the time witnessed the shooting, Burke wrote, though it was unclear why she didn't intervene. It was also unclear if she or her partner were the ones to arrest Myers.
[snip]
Myers has since been removed from the committee.
Man charged in fatal shooting of teen outside Renton BIG 5 removed from Newcastle safety committee

the committee was formed on June 4, on June 5th Mr. Myers killed Hazrat.

 

[tlcya]

Myers’ lawyer, Michelle Scudder, said in an email that Myers sincerely believed he was witnessing the beginning of a violent crime and wanted to stop it before anyone got hurt.

“Mr. Myers and his family are devastated by this tragedy and the fact that it resulted in the loss of a young man’s life,” Scudder said. “We are confident that over the course of this investigation the evidence will show that Mr. Myers’ only intent that day was to protect himself and others from serious harm or death.”
[snip]
“Only a high bail, electronic home detention, and surrender of all firearms will protect the community from an untrained civilian who believes he has a duty to shoot people who have not hurt anyone,” Burke said.
Off-Duty Security Guard Killed Teen After Mistaking Toy For Gun, Authorities Say

I agree with prosecutors. If this guy ever makes bail these should be his conditions for release.

About Myers attorney:

Michelle Scudder is a former King County Prosecuting Attorney, where for over six years she prosecuted numerous trials to verdict involving violent crime, sex crimes, DUIs, economic crimes and weapons possessions. Michelle also worked as a supervising attorney in the District Court Unit where she filed and negotiated a large volume of cases, with a particular focus on DUI cases.

Having been a former criminal prosecuting attorney Michelle Scudder has invaluable insight into defending those charged with a crime and a superior understanding of how the system works.
Scudder Law Firm - Criminal Defense