One teenager was fatally shot in a sporting goods store by an armed individual after they went there to return airsoft guns.
Aaron Brown Myers, aged 51, was charged with murder and assault in connection to the shooting death of a 17-year-old named H.R. as per court records. H.R. was hit once on the side and several times in the back, ultimately succumbing to his injuries at the scene.
As mentioned in a case summary written by King County senior deputy prosecuting attorney Lauren M. Burke, the defendant targeted three teenagers who hadn't committed any offence and escalated the situation with increased violence, ultimately resulting in taking H.R.'s life.
Attorneys for Myers claimed that he was a security consultant and shot in self-defense.
"We are confident that the evidence will show that Mr. Myers' intentions on the day in question were simply to protect himself and others from serious harm or even death," stated Michelle Scudder and Zachary Wagnild in a statement to CNN.
The confrontation started the evening of June 5th when H.R. and two other teens approached a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Renton, Washington, as mentioned in court documents. H.R. had a pocket-sized airsoft gun while B.A., another teen, had a gun tucked away in his coat. Myers had decided to keep an eye on the area, referred to as 'overwatch' in military terms.
Believing the teens were about to rob the store, Myers drew his handgun and, from his vehicle, ordered them to stop, drop their weapons, and lie down. B.A. complied and placed the airsoft gun on the ground while proclaiming it was just a toy, per the prosecutor's report.
Myers approached B.A., straddled him on the ground, and H.R., hands raised, began backing up. Myers shot H.R. multiple times, eventually killing him, according to the case summary.
Myers was arrested at the scene and is being held at the King County Correctional Facility on a $2 million bail. His court date is scheduled for June 24th.
The attorneys stated that he intervened due to a perceived robbery situation.
"Mr. Myers and his family are deeply distraught by the tragic loss of a young man's life. On the night in question, Mr. Myers believed he was witnessing the onset of an armed robbery when he observed three young men pass his truck en route to a martial arts class location. Upon seeing one person take out a gun, Mr. Myers, as a professional security consultant, quickly intervened in an attempt to halt the robbery before any harm could be inflicted. Unfortunately, during this altercation Mr. Myers became fearful for his own life and discharged his firearm to protect himself."
Video footage of the incident exists
The case also involves footage showing the incident captured by a Big 5 store and a neighboring martial arts business. CNN is in the process of acquiring these videos, which have not been made public.
As described in a probable cause statement filed by Renton Police Department, parts of the incident were recorded on the security systems of the Big 5 store and the martial arts establishment. Myers can be seen approaching two of the teens and pointing a firearm at them. B.A. tossed his airsoft weapon to the ground, relaying it was just a 'BB gun' to the man. However, H.R. had his hands in the air and was stepping back, and Myers opened fire, killing H.R., says the document.
B.A. later informed investigators that he and H.R. enjoyed engaging in shooting outdoor activities and had been planning to return or exchange H.R.'s airsoft pistol at the store due to its malfunction. B.A. confirmed that he had placed the mock weapon in his pocket before leaving and H.R. had yet to pull out his airsoft gun.
B.A. recounted in police interviews that both he and H.R. told Myers their weapons were merely toys, but Myers was unconvinced.
"B.A. stated that they informed Myers repeatedly that the guns were BB guns," the document reads.
After being shot, H.R. called out to his mother, recalled S.A., the third teenager involved.
During a conversation with the police, Myers stated that he performs 'overwatch' duties in the area and has witnessed past encounters involving criminal activity, as per an affidavit. He admitted to noticing a trio of youths walk in front of his truck and spotting one with a weapon, leading him to believe they intended to rob the store.
"Myers related that he didn't have time to contact the police and felt responsible for the safety of others," the affidavit says.
However, the affidavit notes that "many" of the details Myers provided deviated from the surveillance footage.
Myers had a history of intervening in potentially dangerous situations, as seen in a March 2022 event. According to a document, he mistook a person riding a bicycle for someone with a gun, so he called 911 to report the situation. He claimed to have a pistol and might need to take action, says the affidavit. After following the cyclist, Myers told police he feared he might have to shoot the individual. When the authorities arrived, they discovered the object in the cyclist's hand was not a firearm but a "silver metal thing that could have been a component of a bicycle," the document adds.
Burke, the prosecutor, argued in the document that this previous incident demonstrated "this self-imposed 'duty to intervene' is part of the defendant's usual approach to dealing with the public." She emphasized that the only way to safeguard the community from an untrained civilian who thought he had the duty to shoot people who hadn't harmed anyone was through a high bail, electronic home detention, and surrendering all firearms.
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In light of the incident, the community expressed their concern about the actions of an individual who believed it was his duty to intervene, as mentioned in a previous incident where Aaron Brown Myers mistook a person riding a bicycle for someone with a gun.
Despite the claims made by Myers' attorneys that he was acting in self-defense or attempting to protect others, the court records and video footage suggest otherwise, as Myers targeted three unarmed teenagers and escalated the situation with increased violence, ultimately leading to the fatal shooting of H.R.
