RICHLAND, Wash. — A 39-year-old man is facing felony charges after allegedly opening fire inside a grocery store in eastern Washington Monday morning, killing one person and injuring another.
The shooting happened at the Fred Meyer off Wellsian Way in Richland. Richland Police Commander Chris Lee said officers responded to the store after receiving a report of shots fired at 11:03 a.m.
The suspect, identified as Aaron Christopher Kelly, was taken into custody without incident Monday night by U.S. Marshalls. Kelly was arrested about 100 miles from the shooting on Interstate 90 between Sprague and Spokane, according to the Richland Police Department.
The Benton County Prosecutor's Office charged Kelly with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder charges. His bond was set at $1 million.
Kelly did not enter a plea in court Tuesday afternoon. His arraignment is set for Feb. 23 at 8:30 a.m.
One person, identified as 38-year-old Justin Krumbah, was killed in the shooting, according to police. The surviving victim was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition Tuesday morning. Richland police and the family of the surviving victim asked for his name to be withheld at this time for privacy.
According to the Richland Police Department, Kelly entered the Fred Meyer around 11:01 a.m. while pushing a cart containing a backpack and duffle bag. He then began walking the aisles of the store.
Minutes after entering the store, Kelly had a 10-15 second interaction with Krumbah before pulling out a handgun and fatally shooting him, according to police.
The president of the union that represents workers at that Fred Meyer released a statement saying the shooting was "another shock" after pandemic safety concerns over the last two years.
"No one should have to worry about their safety when going into a store to get groceries for their family," said UFCW 1439 President Eric Renner. "We stand together with everyone in our community against this violence.”
Probable cause documents show an employee at a Fred Meyer store in Kennewick contacted police about a man who came into the store on Feb. 3 and was suspected of shoplifting. The employee took a photo of the man with his vehicle in front of the store. Court documents show employees knew him to be Kelly from past shoplifting incidents.
The clothing worn in the photo taken by the employee on Feb. 3 appeared to be the same clothing worn by the Fred Meyer shooting suspect, court documents say.
After he was arrested, Richland police said Kelly was taken back to the Tri-Cities and booked into the Benton County Jail.
If anyone has non-emergency information about the shooting, contact police at (509) 628-0333.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the person who was killed in the shooting was a Fred Meyer employee.
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