Key Points
- Aaron Myers, an off-duty security guard, is on trial in connection with the June 2024 shooting death of 17-year-old Hazrat Ali Rohani outside a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Renton.
- Prosecutors say Myers confronted Rohani and two other teens after believing they were armed and about to commit an armed robbery.
- Prosecutors allege Rohani and the other teens were carrying BB guns or airsoft guns and were trying to explain that they were not real firearms.
- Investigators say Myers fired seven shots, including six that struck Rohani in the back.
- The defense argues Myers acted on what he believed was an immediate threat and used lawful force based on the situation he observed.
- Court testimony described conflicting accounts about whether the teens complied with Myers’ commands and what exactly happened in the final moments before the shooting.
- Prosecutors also say Myers had previously followed another person he believed was armed in a 2022 incident, which they argue shows a pattern of intervening on assumptions.
Renton (King County Insider) May 7, 2026 – A jury in King County is hearing one of the most closely watched self-defense disputes to come out of the Renton area, where an off-duty security guard is accused of fatally shooting a teenager he says he believed was armed. As reported by KOMO News and attributed in court coverage to prosecutor Elaine Lee and defense attorney Mark Middaugh, the case centers on whether Aaron Myers responded to a real threat or escalated a situation based on assumptions.
What happened outside Big 5 in June 2024?
According to KOMO News, the shooting happened in June 2024 in the parking lot of a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Renton, where Myers was waiting to pick up his son from a jujitsu class nearby. Prosecutors say Myers saw three teens, believed one had a handgun, and confronted them because he thought they were about to commit an armed robbery. The victim, Hazrat Ali Rohani, was 17 years old.
As reported by KOMO News, investigators said Myers told police he believed he did not have time to call 911 and felt a duty to intervene. Prosecutors, however, argue that the teens were carrying BB guns or airsoft guns and that Rohani and the others were trying to explain that the weapons were not real.
What do prosecutors say happened?
In opening statements, as quoted by KOMO News, prosecutor Elaine Lee said the tragedy happened because Myers acted “based on assumptions” and fired “with no hesitation and no questions asked.” Prosecutors say the evidence will show the teens were complying, raising their hands, and dropping the BB guns when Myers continued the confrontation. According to the reporting, an eyewitness also testified that events unfolded quickly and that the teens appeared to be complying with Myers’ orders.
KOMO News reported that investigators say Myers fired seven times, with six bullets striking Rohani in the back. Prosecutors further say security video contradicted parts of Myers’ interview with police and showed Rohani’s hands were empty. In court filings and testimony summarized by KOMO News, prosecutors argued that Rohani could not have posed a threat if he was facing away from Myers when the shots were fired.
What is the defense argument?
Defense attorney Mark Middaugh told the court, as quoted by KOMO News, that Myers “was entitled to act on appearances,” meaning the jury should judge the scene based on what Myers believed at that moment rather than with hindsight. Middaugh argued that Myers thought the teens might use the guns to hurt someone, commit a felony, or rob people, and that his client used lawful force because he believed he and others were in immediate danger.
The defense also said the BB guns were hyper-realistic replicas and that Myers could reasonably have mistaken them for real firearms. Middaugh told the court, according to KOMO’s trial coverage, that Myers got out of his vehicle to protect people nearby, including his son, and that he fired because he feared for his own life.
What did witnesses and video show?
KOMO News reported that witness testimony included accounts from Rohani’s cousin and an eyewitness who said the teens were complying with commands during the confrontation. The prosecution says the teens repeatedly yelled that the weapon was a BB gun and not real, while Myers still pointed his gun at them and continued the confrontation. The reporting also notes that police body camera footage and interrogation video were shown in court, including emotional statements Myers made shortly after the shooting.
At the same time, the defense has argued that the situation moved too fast for calm assessment and that Myers had to react in the moment. That conflict over timing and perception is central to the trial, because the jury must decide whether Myers’ belief was reasonable under the circumstances.
Why does the 2022 incident matter?
Prosecutors told the court, as reported by KOMO News, that Myers had been involved in a similar episode in March 2022, when he followed a person he believed was carrying a gun. In that earlier case, prosecutors say Myers called 911 and police later determined the person was not armed and no one was hurt.
The state is using that earlier incident to argue Myers had a habit of acting on what he thought he saw, even when the facts later did not support his conclusions. The defense, however, is expected to argue that the 2024 incident was different because the situation happened quickly and appeared more dangerous in real time.
How did the case reach trial?
KOMO News reported in June 2024 that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Myers with second-degree murder and second-degree assault after the shooting. The reporting at the time said prosecutors alleged Rohani was shot seven times, including six times in the back, and that the teen did not pose a threat. Later reporting noted that Myers was released on a $2 million bond and that the case continued toward trial after multiple delays.
By the time the trial began in April 2026, the central factual dispute had sharpened into a question of whether Myers used unnecessary force or acted within what he believed was lawful self-defense. That issue is now being weighed by jurors after testimony from witnesses, investigators, and the lawyers on both sides.
Background of the development
The underlying development began on June 5, 2024, when Hazrat Ali Rohani was killed outside the Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Renton during an encounter with Aaron Myers. Prosecutors filed charges shortly afterward, and the case has since moved through pretrial proceedings, bond decisions, and repeated scheduling changes before reaching trial in April 2026.
The incident drew attention because the victim and his friends were carrying BB guns or airsoft guns, while Myers was a security guard who said he believed he was stopping a violent crime. That combination has made the case a broader test of how courts evaluate split-second decisions, perceived threats, and the limits of armed intervention.
What could this mean for the audience?
For Renton residents, the case may shape public discussion about armed security, store parking lot safety, and how quickly a suspected threat can turn into a fatal encounter. For families and students in the South King County area, it also highlights how misunderstandings involving replica guns can escalate into deadly violence.
For security workers and property owners, the trial may influence how people think about the boundaries of off-duty intervention, especially when there is no active contract or direct authority at a location. For jurors and the wider public, the case is likely to stand as a closely watched example of how the law treats fear, perception, and the decision to shoot before confirming a threat.
