Accused Fred Meyer Shooter Arrested, Faces Murder Charge, Police Say

RICHLAND, WA — The man suspected of opening fire Monday in a Fred Meyer store in Richland, Washington, was taken into custody overnight on Interstate 90 between Sprague and Spokane, police said.

Aaron Christopher Kelly, 39, will be booked into the Benton County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder, the Richland Police Department said.

"We thank the numerous law enforcement partners that quickly collaborated to apprehend this subject," the police department said.

The shooting left at least one person dead and another wounded, officials said. Richland police said Justin Krumbah, 38, was killed in the shooting. The surviving victim was hospitalized in critical condition Monday.

Responding officers found the two victims near each other in the store, Richland interim Police Chief Brigit Clary said, according to The Associated Press. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful on one of the shooting victims. The other victim, a store employee, was taken to a hospital, she said. He underwent surgery. Both were described as white males.

The shooter and Krumbah had an interaction before the shooting, store video footage showed. Police said they don’t know what was said and didn't know if the two people knew each other. The person who died was not a store employee, police said.

"What happened in our city today was a senseless and tragic act," Clary said.

Numerous police vehicles swarmed the parking lot of the store around 11 a.m. Monday as social media users reported an active shooter inside the store. Police initially received reports of yelling and gunfire.

Employees and customers were escorted out of the store to a parking lot while officers searched aisles looking for the shooter and other victims.

Chris Lee, commander of Richland police, told reporters the shooter, who used a handgun, then fled the store.

"We don't know what the cause was," Lee said Monday. "We don't know if it was specifically intentional or targeted towards any one person. We're still in the middle of the investigation with that."

A photo posted by KAPP-KVEW showed several police SUVs outside the store on around 11:30 a.m. Richland police asked the public to avoid the area.

Police in neighboring Kennewick released photos of a man identified as the suspect. Video posted on Twitter showed emergency personnel parked outside the store.

Just after noon Monday, all schools and facilities in the Richland School District were placed into a non-critical lockdown.

Special agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were responding to Richland.

Fred Meyer said in a statement it was "deeply saddened" by the shooting.

"We are cooperating with local law enforcement, who have secured the store and parking lot," the company said. "The store will remain closed while the police investigation continues, and we have initiated counseling services for our associates."

Richland is about 160 miles southeast of Seattle, and about 20 miles north of the Oregon border. The city, with nearly 61,000 residents, sits at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers.