Fred Meyer employee shot by customer in the Richland store remains critical

Friends and co-workers were rallying Tuesday to help Mark A. Hill, the Fred Meyer employee shot inside the Richland store Monday morning, as he remained in critical condition after surgery.

Another man, Instacart shopper Justin Krumbah, 38, died after being shot by the same customer, said officials.

Hill was shot near the customer service counter, after Krumbah was shot in a store aisle, according to court documents.

A fundraiser was started for Hill at GoFundMe by a fellow Fred Meyer employee Tuesday morning and had raised about $3,800 in two hours to help with his medical expenses.

A friend of the family also started a fundraiser on GoFundMe Tuesday morning to help Hill’s family with expenses. He faces a long road to recovery, it said.

A co-worker posted on Facebook that Hill’s daughter said Tuesday morning that Hill survived the night and was able to wiggle his toes and squeeze a hand.

She shared a screenshot from his daughter saying that her father suffered “a lot of internal damage... He’s definitely not out of the woods yet but we are staying positive.”

Hill, who lives in the Prosser area, has spent years working with Prosser Youth Football, helping many kids, a friend posted on Facebook.

A Fred Meyer customer posted on the fundraiser site that whenever he was in the store, “Mark would be whistling, doing his job. It brightened my day many times. Hope and prayers are being said for his recovery.”

Another person said that Hill loves his job and “is always ready to help anyone in anyway that they need.”

Blood shortage

West Benton Fire Rescue, based in Prosser, posted on Facebook that Hill, 56, underwent an initial surgery to stabilize him after he was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

But during the surgery and hours that followed the local blood bank ran out of his A+ blood type and O, which is compatible with any blood type, according to West Benton Fire Rescue.

Blood had to be transferred from Spokane, it said.

The fire agency, along with Hill’s friends and co-workers, now is urging people to donate blood to the Red Cross in Hill’s name.

The American Red Cross, which has a donor center at 447 Wellsian Way, Richland, recommended making an appointment rather than dropping by.

It hopes “to avoid disappointment and frustration when individuals arrive at our blood centers only to find appointments full,” it posted on Facebook.

Blood drives were full until at least Friday, according to the appointment website. To make an appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org and type in a zip code.

How to help

The Red Cross thanked the residents of the Tri-Cities area and Prosser who are eager to donate blood Tuesday, but encouraged people to make appointments for the days and weeks ahead.

It was encouraged by the number of first-time donors wanting to give blood after the Fred Meyer shooting and also businesses and organizations that have asked to play host to blood drives, said Betsy Robertson, communication director for the American Red Cross Northwest Region.

Getting more drives scheduled is the biggest need, she said. Information on hosting blood drives is posted at redcrossblood.org.

It also needs more volunteers to help with blood drives. To volunteer, go to redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html.

“We would like to remind the community that it is the blood already on the shelves that helps individuals in their moment of need,” the Red Cross posted to social media.

Donated blood takes time to package and process and then to deliver to hospitals, said Betsy Robertson, communication director for the American Red Cross Northwest Region.

The Red Cross is in its worst blood crisis in more than a decade and needs to stabilize the blood inventory, not only to help trauma victims like Hill receive blood without delay, but also cancer patients, new mothers with complicated childbirth and others, it said.

On Tuesday, it was able to supply the blood needed at Tri-Cities hospitals, the Red Cross said.

Late Monday night the suspect in the shooting, Aaron Christopher Kelly, was taken into custody on Interstate 90 between Sprague, Wash., and Spokane.

This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 12:50 PM.