A jury convicted off-duty security guard Aaron Brown Myers, 51, of second-degree murder and second-degree assault on May 7, 2026, for fatally shooting 17-year-old Hazrat Ali Rohani outside a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Renton, Washington.
The verdict came nearly two years after Myers shot Rohani seven times on June 5, 2024, including six times in the back as the teenager lay on the ground calling for his mother. Prosecutors presented evidence showing Myers continued firing even after Rohani had collapsed, with surveillance footage confirming the teen posed no threat at the time of the shooting.
Rohani and two friends had gone to the sporting goods store to return or seek assistance with their airsoft guns when Myers confronted them in the parking lot, believing they were about to commit an armed robbery, according to People.
Despite the teens repeatedly shouting that the weapons were not real and raising their hands in compliance, Myers escalated the situation by pointing his firearm at them. Witnesses testified that the group complied with Myers' commands and dropped the BB guns, but Myers opened fire when Rohani began to lower one arm while turning away.
Court testimony revealed that surveillance footage captured approximately 20 seconds between the moment Myers exited his truck and his final shot.
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The video showed Rohani backing away from Myers with his hands over his head and fingers extended to show they were empty, contradicting Myers' claim that the teen was reaching for a weapon.
One surviving teen told police he repeatedly informed Myers they were holding airsoft guns while following his orders, but Myers proceeded to shove him to the ground and straddle him.
Myers, who was not employed to provide security at the location, told investigators he was conducting voluntary "overwatch" in the parking lot due to rising crime in the area. He claimed he felt a duty to act to protect his son, who was attending a martial arts class at a nearby gym, and believed he did not have time to call 911, Hoodline reported.
Defense attorney Mark Middaugh argued that Myers, drawing on his military and security background, reasonably believed the teens posed an immediate threat and acted to protect others.
The jury delivered its verdict on what would have been Rohani's 19th birthday. Myers faces between 10 and 18 years in prison for the murder conviction, plus an additional 10 years for a firearm enhancement, with sentencing scheduled for Jul. 21, 2026.
The conviction closed a tragic chapter for the family of Hazrat Ali Rohani, who died from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen and six to his back, as per Komo News.
