Richland Fred Meyer shooter back in court. Is he able to face murder charges yet?

A man accused of shooting two people inside the Richland Fred Meyer will remain at Eastern State Hospital for three more months for another round of mental health treatment.

Next time he’s due back in court it will have been almost a year since Aaron Christopher Kelly, 40, allegedly opened fire in the store, killing one man and wounding another.

Eastern State Hospital officials say more treatment is necessary before he could be ready to assist his attorneys with his defense, Deputy Prosecutor Brandon Pang told a judge this week.

Kelly appeared by phone in Benton County Superior Court and Judge Sam Swanberg ordered him to spend another three months at the state hospital near Medical Lake.

Kelly is charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in connection with the Feb. 7 shooting.

Legal proceedings have been on hold since Feb. 23 when attorneys asked for a mental health evaluation.

Eastern State Hospital evaluators have determined that he has an unspecified schizophrenia spectrum or other disorder.

Officials have said it can be treated with a combination of medication and counseling, but Kelly didn’t want to take anything to treat the condition.

Kelly also refused to cooperate with evaluator, often answering their questions with “no comment.”

“Review of nursing notes were notable for paranoid behaviors,” according to an Aug. 12 evaluation from Eastern State Hospital. “When pacing the halls, he carried all of his paperwork (presumably legal documents) in a folder.”

Judge Joe Burrowes approved a request in August to allow hospital officials to force Kelly to take medications.

After six weeks of treatment, Eastern State officials reported that Kelly still isn’t competent to stand trial, Pang said this week. The psychologists believe he will improve with another round of treatment.

Defense attorneys also have asked for an expert to evaluate Kelly’s mental health.

Swanberg approved both requests. Kelly will return to court on Jan. 4.

Family members of Justin Krumbah, the 38-year-old Instacart driver killed in the shooting, attended the hearing online.

Fred Meyer shooting

Kelly allegedly walked into the Fred Meyer on Wellsian Way about 11 a.m. on Feb. 7. He had a brief conversation with Krumbah, whom he didn’t know, and then shot him, according to investigators.

Kelly then shot store employee Mark Hill, 56, three times near the customer service desk, according to court documents. Hill was rushed to a hospital and survived.

Kelly stayed in the store for a few minutes before leaving and eventually heading to his bank to empty his account, prosecutors said.

He was arrested 11 hours later driving on Interstate 90 near Sprague, southwest of Spokane, in Eastern Washington.

Troubled history

Kelly’s former landlord told the Tri-City Herald in February that his roommate terrorized him and his housemates for nearly 1 1/2 years before Kelly could be forcibly evicted.

A lot is not known about Kelly’s past, but Bryant Scott, a former Marine, said it didn’t take long for him to realize that his Airbnb tenant was troubled.

He said the former Texas school teacher’s erratic, secretive and paranoid behavior left him and his other housemates on edge and even fearful.

Eventually Scott said he was forced to sell his house in west Pasco, and Franklin County sheriff’s deputies had to evict Kelly from the empty home.

This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 11:48 AM.