Washington man allegedly killed teen because he mistook airsoft gun for real gun

The King County, Washington, district attorney's office has charged a man with second-degree murder and assault, both counts, for allegedly shooting a teenager he thought was holding a gun and who he believed was about to rob a sporting goods store.

Aaron Brown Myers, 51, told police he thought the 17-year-old victim had a gun and was going to rob a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in the Seattle suburb of Renton last Wednesday , as the teen walked toward the retailer with two other people. according to court documents filed by prosecutor Leesa Manion.

The boy was holding an airsoft gun, according to a police affidavit. An airsoft weapon is a replica firearm that fires low-power, non-metallic pellets.

The two teens who accompanied the victim told police they were going to the sporting goods store to return or exchange the airsoft gun because it was malfunctioning, the affidavit states.

Myers was indicted on both counts on Monday and is scheduled to be arraigned on June 24, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office. Myers is currently being held on $2 million bail, according to the office.

“The investigation revealed that the victim and two other 17-year-olds were heading to a store to return a handgun-style BB gun when the armed suspect exited his vehicle and confronted the trio,” according to the filing obtained by ABC. News. “There was an altercation that became physical and the suspect allegedly shot the victim multiple times.”

Myers told police he worked as an armed security guard elsewhere, had just gotten off work, and was waiting in his car in a parking lot while his son took martial arts classes nearby , according to the police affidavit.

“Myers indicated that he conducted surveillance at the location because he had seen numerous crimes occurring in the parking lot in the past,” the affidavit states.

Reports do not show that Myers was authorized to guard the area.

Meyers saw three teenagers approach the Big 5 Sporting Goods store with what he thought were handguns and thought they were going to rob the store, according to the affidavit. He further stated that he felt he did not have time to call 911 and that he “had a duty to act to prevent individuals from harming an innocent person and to protect his son,” according to the court filing.

Myers, who was armed with a registered semi-automatic pistol, told police he approached the teens with his gun outside and told them to put their hands in the air, but no one responded. obeyed, according to the police affidavit. He then shot the victim several times because he believed the teen was reaching for what Myers thought was a gun in the waistband of his pants and that the teen was “going to kill him,” according to the filing.

The 17-year-old man, whose name was redacted from court records because he is a minor, was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders, according to the filing. Myers was immediately arrested and taken into custody.

“Mr. Myers and his family are devastated by this tragedy and the loss of a young man's life. On the evening in question, Mr. Myers honestly believed he was witnessing the beginning of armed robbery,” Myers' attorney said in a statement to ABC News. “Unfortunately, during the confrontation, Mr. Myers feared for his own life and fired his service weapon to himself. defend.”

The two surviving teens said they had previously used airsoft guns to shoot in the woods and wanted help from the store with their replica guns, which were malfunctioning, according to the affidavit.

Investigators said in their report that surveillance footage of the incident appeared to contradict some of Myers' statements.

Surveillance footage also shows Myers quickly approaching the teens in the parking lot, according to the filing. After forcing one teen to the ground and straddling him, he pointed his gun at another, according to the affidavit.

The teen with the gun pointed at him had his hands raised but lowered one of his hands toward his waist, at which point Myers is seen firing his gun several times, according to the filing.

“Based on these facts, I believe probable cause exists to charge Aaron B Myers…with the crime of second-degree murder,” according to the officer involved, the court filing states. “The fact that Myers fired his firearm, without premeditation, caused the death of another person.”

In response to a request for comment from ABC News, the dead boy's father said he was too upset to talk about the incident.

Police in Renton, Washington, told ABC News that surveillance footage of the incident will not be available to the public until their investigation is complete.