Jason Robert Steiner in a courtroom in Multnomah County, Oregon, on Oct. 10, 2024 (KGW).
A jury in Oregon sided with the defense and voted to acquit a cannabis store manager who killed two armed robbers.
At 35 years old, Jason Steiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, along with other charges for the October 2024 shooting during a robbery at a marijuana shop in the Portland area. The prosecution suggested that Steiner had the opportunity to escape before shooting the robbers in the back. However, Steiner’s defense lawyers argued that he acted in self-defense.
“These were real guns, not replicas or unloaded weapons. They were prepared to kill that night,” stated defense attorney Thalia Sady during her closing comments, as reported by The Oregonian.
Steiner discharged more than twelve shots during the attempted heist. After the incident, he allegedly informed detectives that he observed the suspects being “completely unaware and made the decision that this was his opportunity.” Jurors reviewed body-cam footage showing an emotional Steiner saying, “I didn’t want to harm anyone,” as noted by the newspaper.
Following the verdict he reportedly became overcome with emotion.
According to a previous report by Law&Crime, the event occurred on October 3, 2024. Steiner mentioned to officers that he was the sole employee at the La Mota cannabis dispensary that night, detailed in an affidavit accessed by the local NBC affiliate KGW. He reportedly heard a noise while in a backroom, prompting him to step out and encounter three people aiming guns at him.
They allowed him to leave, but one of them questioned aloud what he might have on him, leading Steiner to worry that they might pursue him, according to his account. He allegedly told police that after exiting, he removed his gun from his backpack and positioned himself by the door in case they followed. He left his car keys inside the building and expressed to officers his fear that the robbers might take his car and search for him.
The suspects did not pursue him outside, he allegedly stated. Approaching the drive-through window, believing one of the suspects inside was holding a gun, he determined this “was his opportunity” and commenced shooting until he depleted his ammunition, according to his account.
Steiner was the one to call 911. Police said they arrived to find King Lawrence, 18, dead at the scene. Tahir Burley, 20, was attempting to breathe but eventually died there as well. A third person seen on surveillance footage had already fled, officers said.
“At that point, there was no apparent reason why Mr. Steiner did not leave the area,” police wrote. “The individuals were inside the building, the door was closed and Mr. Steiner was the length of the building away from the door and around the corner.”
Though surveillance footage roughly matched his story, it also showed that he opened fire through the drive-through window “almost immediately,” and that none of the three people inside had any gun out when he did so, investigators claim. Only Burley took out a gun, and that was after Steiner shot him, authorities said.
Investigators described finding 13 shell casings at the scene. Steiner allegedly introduced himself as the shooter when law enforcement arrived at the scene, and gave them both the weapon and an empty magazine, authorities said.
Asked why the semiautomatic weapon lacked a serial number, he said he made it, per authorities.
