Memorial to remember ‘delightful man’ killed in the Richland Fred Meyer shooting

Richland Fred Meyer employees plan a memorial gathering at 3 p.m. Thursday at Howard Amon Park for the Instacart shopper killed by the Monday shooting.

The event to remember Justin Krumbah was originally planned for the Chamna Preserve in Richland and then the Fred Meyer parking lot, before being moved to the Richland park.

Everyone is welcome and some people plan to wear green.

Flowers already have been left in the Fred Meyer parking lot this week to remember Krumbah.

On Tuesday, employees of Tumbleweeds restaurant in Richland donated all of their tips to help the family of Krumbah and a Fred Meyer employee who was critically wounded.

Tips totaled about $500 after customers learned employees would be donating them.

The Fred Meyer store remained closed on Wednesday, after a gunman shot Krumbah in a store aisle and then employee Mark A. Hill at the customer service desk about 11 a.m. Monday.

Hill remains in critical condition, and a co-worker posted on social media that he will have a second surgery on Wednesday. His first, which his family said did not remove two bullets, was shortly after being taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

One of Krumbah’s Instacart customers posted on a fundraising website that he had delivered an order to her just over a week ago.

“I told my husband he was the best Instacart shopper I’d had in 2 years using the service!” she posted. “In the few minutes we talked while he unloaded my groceries, I saw a delightful man who was not only proud of his job, but did everything to brighten the day of his customers and those around him.”

A favorite at Fred Meyer

He was friendly and outgoing and several customers posted about recently chatting with him as they stood in checkout lines.

He was also a favorite of Fred Meyer employees who saw him shopping for orders nearly daily at the Richland store, where his sister is an employee.

“He was an amazing guy, always had a bit of a better day when he was in,” a Richland Fred Meyer’s department manager posted on social media.

Krumbah’s last post to his Facebook page showed him looking pleased in an apron with a Seattle Seahawk’s emblem.

“You wear an apron now?” a friend posted, with a laughing emoji.

“I take pride in my work no matter what I do!” Krumbah replied. “Always gotta be professional!! And it’s sped up my production time also!!”

A GoFundMe account has been set up for Krumbah’s family and two more accounts have been set up for Hill. To find the accounts, go to GoFundMe.com and search by name.

Nearly $42,000 has been raised to help with the Hill family’s expenses and any uncovered medical expenses for Hill. About $25,500 has been raised on GoFundMe for Krumbah’s funeral expenses.

The suspect in the shooting, Aaron C. Kelly, 39, is being held in the Benton County, Wash., jail on $1 million bail.

This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 12:34 PM.