Richland Washington shooting: ‘Paranoid’ suspect Aaron Kelly shoplifted at Fred Meyer, employees say
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Your support makes all the difference.New details continue to emerge about the man suspected of carrying out a deadly rampage at a Fred Meyer supermarket in Washington state.
Aaron Christopher Kelly, 39, was arrested early Tuesday following an hours-long manhunt after he allegedly shot two people, one fatally, at the store in Richland on Monday morning.
He is currently being held at the Benton County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder. His bond was held at $1m at a court hearing Tuesday afternoon where his arraignment was postponed until 23 February.
Prior to the hearing, prosecutors revealed Fred Meyer employees recognised Mr Kelly from prior shoplifting incidents, including one just last week.
Meanwhile tributes have poured in for Justin Krumbah, the 38-year-old Instacart shopper killed in the shooting. The other victim, Mark Hill, is said to be in stable condition.
An investigation remains ongoing as the gunman’s motive has yet to be determined.
Richland Washington shooting: Everything we know about suspected Fred Meyer gunman Aaron Kelly’s rampage
Popular Instacart shopper killed in Fred Meyer shooting is remembered as ‘breath of fresh air’ by customers
Washington shooting: Suspected gunman who opened fire in Fred Meyer store arrested 150 miles away
WATCH: Police briefing on Kelly’s arrest
Officials with the Richland Police Department offered an update on the shooting investigation at a briefing on Tuesday.
Watch the full remarks below:
Weapon still missing
Police have yet to recover the firearm suspect Aaron Kelly allegedly used in the shooting, officials said Tuesday.
Casings found at the crime scene appeared to have come from a 9mm handgun, matching the description that Mr Kelly’s roommate said he owned.
However, that gun apparently was not on Mr Kelly’s person when he was arrested hours after the shooting. Officials said they were requesting a search warrant for the suspect’s car.
RECAP: Everything we know about the shooting
Gunfire erupted at the Fred Meyer supermarket in Richland, Washington, just after 11am local time on Monday.
Police arrived at the scene within a minute, but by that time suspected shooter Aaron Kelly had already fled.
One victim, Justin Krumbah, died at the scene while another, Mark Hill, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.
An 11-hour manhunt ensued before Mr Kelly was taken into custody about 150 miles away. He is now being held on $1m bail on charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder.
The Independent’s Gino Spocchia recaps everything we know so far:
Everything we know about suspected Fred Meyer gunman’s rampage
Witnesses recalled hearing around half a dozen shots before suspect fled
Kelly’s landlord ‘begged for gun to be removed'
Mr Kelly’s former landlord and roommate store has claimed that he begged authorities to take away his tenant’s firearm after he tried to poison his dogs.
Bryant Scott wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post, seen by DailyMail.com, that Aaron Christopher Kelly refused to leave the property he rented to him, was “repeatedly attempting to murder my dogs” and waged a campaign of harassment against him and his friends during the pandemic.
Mr Scott said he filed for a restraining order against the 39-year-old and asked a judge to confiscate his weapon – but that both requests were denied.
Court records, obtained by The Independent, show that Mr Scott filed a complaint for unlawful harassment against Mr Kelly in Franklin Franklin County Superior Court in October 2020.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:
Fred Meyer shooting suspect’s ex-landlord claims he begged for gun to be taken away
Court records show Bryant Scott filed a complaint for unlawful harassment against Aaron Christopher Kelly in October 2020 – 16 months before he allegedly opened fire inside a grocery store on Monday
Business owner describes harbouring escapees
A man who owns an auto shop near the Fred Meyer store in Richland has described how people feeling gunfire took shelter in his business.
“I’d never seen terror in anybody’s eyes like I saw today,” Robert Cronkhite told NewsNation.
Watch his interview below:
Kelly’s ex-roommate describes fraught relationship
Police identified Mr Kelly as the suspect in Monday’s shooting in part from a tip by his former roommate and landlord, Bryant Scott.
Mr Scott said he met Mr Kelly went he rented his a room in his home out to him, but their relationship began to fall apart when Mr Kelly allegedly refused to move out.
“Being around Aaron was like having a living ghost,” Mr Scott said, according to Northwest News. “You know it’s there, you don’t want it to be and there’s nothing you can do about it. When it comes around, you feel uncomfortable. You want it to go away and it won’t. And it just comes and goes and you’re just always on edge.”
Mr Scott filed a petition for a protection order against Mr Kelly for harassment in 2020, but it was struck down by a judge. Eventually, he said he was forced to sell the home to get away from Mr Kelly.
Victim GoFundMe campaigns top $37,000
A pair of GoFundMe campaigns raising money for the victims of the Fred Meyer shooting have raised more than $37,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
A campaign for the family of Justin Krumbah, an Instacart shopper who was shot multiple times and killed, is nearing $26,000 as those who knew him post touching tributes.
Another campaign for Mark Hill, a store employee who was critically wounded, has raised more than $16,000 toward his medical bills.
Kelly’s next court appearance
Aaron Kelly is slated to appear in court for his postponed arraignment on 23 February.
It comes after he waived his right to a speedy arraignment during his first appearance in Benton County court on Tuesday.
His bail is currently set at $1m. Should he manage to come up with the money, he will be required to remain within county lines, the judge said.
Kelly’s mental state ‘in decline’
Mr Kelly had been “distancing himself from friends and family” in the weeks leading up to Monday’s shooting, according to police.
Richland Police Interim Chief Brigit Clary said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that the suspect was “in decline over the last few weeks and months” before he allegedly carried out the attack in Richland.
“Acquaintances of Kelly have described his condition to investigators as being in decline over the last few weeks and months,” she said.
“He has been described as distancing himself from friends and family.”
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:
Fred Meyer suspected gunman was ‘distancing himself from friends’ before shooting
Aaron Christopher Kelly was arrested on Monday on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter
WATCH: Kelly’s court appearance
Mr Kelly appeared in court to face charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder on Tuesday afternoon.
Shackled and a green jumpsuit, he only spoke to confirm his name and date of birth and to waive his right to a speedy arraignment.
Watch the appearance via KEPR below: