A Washington jury returned a fatal shooting conviction against a 51-year-old man on Thursday. Aaron Brown Myers killed 17-year-old Hazrat Ali Rohani outside a Big 5 store in Renton. The teenager died on June 5, 2024, after suffering seven gunshot wounds. Myers shot the victim once in the abdomen and six times in the back. Consequently, this fatal shooting conviction came after jurors reviewed surveillance footage of the incident. The video showed Myers approaching three teens as they walked toward the store. He drew his gun and pointed it at them immediately.
Rohani and his two friends had come to return an airsoft gun. They are all children of Afghan immigrants, according to local advocacy groups. Myers worked as a security guard but was off-duty at the time. He was waiting in the parking lot to pick up his son from jiu-jitsu class. One surviving teen told police that Myers noticed his airsoft weapon. The teen repeatedly told Myers that they only had airsoft guns. He slowly set his airsoft gun on the ground as Myers demanded. Myers then shoved him down and straddled him on the sidewalk. Additionally, surveillance footage confirmed this sequence of events perfectly.
The video also showed Rohani’s final moments before the fatal shooting conviction. Rohani had his fingers extended to show his empty hands. He backed away from Myers while keeping his hands over his head. He slowly lowered one arm while turning away from the shooter. Myers opened fire at that moment, hitting the teenager seven times. The footage did not show Rohani reaching for a gun at any point. He never displayed the airsoft gun that remained in his pocket. Myers continued firing even after Rohani fell to the ground. The victim called out for his mother as he lay dying. Myers did not attempt to perform life-saving measures after the shooting.
Police noted that Myers stood by the body without helping. Myers later claimed he shot the victim when he reached for a gun. However, the surveillance footage contradicted this statement completely. The fatal shooting conviction came on what would have been Rohani’s 19th birthday. The jury found Myers guilty of second-degree murder and second-degree assault. He faces up to 28 years in prison at his sentencing on July 21. Myers was on probation for a prior weapons charge at the time of the killing. Therefore, this fatal shooting conviction highlights the tragic consequences of misidentifying airsoft guns. Community leaders hope the verdict brings some measure of justice for the victim’s family.
