The former off-duty security guard was taken into custody after a jury convicted him of murder and assault.
SEATTLE, Wash. — Aaron Brown Myers is awaiting a July sentencing hearing after a King County jury found him guilty in the killing of 17-year-old Hazrat Ali Rohani outside a Renton store.
The next phase will decide punishment, not guilt. Myers, 52, was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree assault after prosecutors said he wrongly confronted three teenagers who were carrying BB or airsoft guns to a Big 5 Sporting Goods store. The verdict also included a firearm enhancement. Prosecutors have said the sentencing range could run from a little more than 20 years to more than 28 years in prison.
Myers had been out of jail on home monitoring before the verdict. That changed in the courtroom after jurors announced their decision. The judge ordered him remanded into custody while he waits for sentencing. Court coverage described an emotional scene as Myers hugged relatives and supporters before officers handcuffed him. The July 21 hearing will give both sides a final chance to argue over the prison term.
The conviction followed trial testimony about a deadly misunderstanding, a claimed threat and the legal limits on armed private security. Myers was off duty on June 5, 2024, when he was in the parking lot of the Renton shopping center. He had taken his son to a martial arts class nearby. He later told police he had been watching the area because of concerns about crime in the lot.
Rohani and two other teens arrived with BB or airsoft guns, according to court accounts. They were going to the sporting goods store to return, exchange or seek help with the items. Prosecutors said Myers saw the teens and assumed a robbery was about to happen. He approached them while carrying his own gun. The defense said Myers believed he saw a real handgun and thought he had to act quickly to prevent someone from being hurt.
The state’s evidence placed heavy weight on the teens’ conduct once Myers confronted them. Prosecutors said the boys said the guns were not real. They said Rohani showed his hands and did not pose a deadly threat when Myers fired. Trial coverage and court records said Rohani was hit multiple times, including in the back. Prosecutors said those facts showed Myers did not act in lawful self-defense.
Defense attorney Mark Middaugh argued that Myers’ decision must be judged from what he believed in the moment. Middaugh said Myers followed the training he had received as an armed security guard and fired because he thought the teen was reaching for a gun. The defense also argued that replica guns can look like real firearms, especially in a fast encounter. Jurors still found Myers criminally responsible. The assault conviction involved another teen at the scene, not Rohani. Prosecutors said Myers pointed a gun at that boy and held him down during the confrontation. That count showed the jury accepted the state’s broader argument that Myers’ use of force was unlawful from the start. It also matters for sentencing because the judge must account for more than one conviction when setting punishment.
Rohani was a Kent-Meridian High School student. The verdict came near what would have been his 19th birthday, according to local reporting on the case. That timing added another painful layer for his family and school community. The trial record, however, focused less on memorials and more on the sequence of movement in the lot, the placement of hands, the number of shots and whether Myers’ fear was legally reasonable.
King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney said after the verdict that prosecutors were pleased with the jury’s decision and thanked jurors for their service. The defense has not finished its work because sentencing remains open. Lawyers may ask the court to weigh Myers’ background, training, lack or presence of prior record and conduct after the shooting. Prosecutors may point to Rohani’s age, the number of shots, the alleged escalation and the harm to the surviving teens.
The judge will also consider the firearm enhancement. Under Washington sentencing practice, enhancements can increase time beyond the base sentence for the main offense. Local reports said prosecutors described the murder range as 10 to 18 years, with additional time for the firearm enhancement. Other reporting placed the full range at about 20.25 to 28.3 years. The final number will depend on the court’s calculation and any arguments accepted at sentencing.
The case drew regional attention because it started with a common retail errand and ended in a homicide. A teen went to a store with an item that looked dangerous but was not a firearm. An armed adult said he believed he was stopping a crime. Jurors heard both claims and concluded that Myers crossed a criminal line. That decision now leaves the court to decide how many years the killing and assault require under state law.
Myers remains in custody while the case moves toward the July 21 sentencing hearing. Rohani’s family and the surviving teens may still be heard in court. The verdict is final unless challenged through post-trial motions or appeal, but the sentence is the next major ruling.
Author note: Last updated June 1, 2026.