An Oregon man was found not guilty of murder on Friday in the fatal shooting of two people who attempted to rob the cannabis store where he worked.
Why It Matters
Jason Steiner, 35, was facing two counts of first-degree murder related to the deaths of 18-year-old King Lawrence and 20-year-old Tahir Burley, The Oregonian reported. A jury acquitted Steiner of the charges, plus additional charges of unlawful use of a weapon and attempted murder.
Steiner had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
What To Know
The incident occurred in October 2024, when surveillance footage showed three masked men entering the La Mota dispensary in Portland and holding him at gunpoint, local news station KGW8 reported. Steiner was the only employee working at the time of the incident.
Steiner told the men they could take the store, then retrieved a bag containing his own handgun and said he was leaving, The Oregonian reported. Surveillance footage showed Steiner walking back to the store and firing multiple shots through a drive-thru window, according to the outlet.
Lawrence and Buckley were pronounced dead at the scene. A third suspect, 21-year-old Jalen Hudson, was uninjured, but he was fatally shot in an unrelated incident months later, The Oregonian reported.
The prosecution argued that Steiner had other options, such as leaving the area. Multnomah County Chief Deputy District Attorney Todd Jackson argued that Steiner made a conscious choice to shoot the men in the back, rather than ducking behind hedges or going down a tree-lined street with no lighting, The Oregonian reported.
The defense argued that the robbers threatened Steiner’s life at gunpoint and could have pursued him, according to the outlet.
“These were not fake or ammo-less guns. They were prepared and ready to kill that night,” defense attorney Thalia Sady said during closing arguments.
Family members of Lawrence and Burley left the courtroom in tears after the verdict was read, the outlet reported.
What People Are Saying
Multnomah County Chief Deputy District Attorney Todd Jackson told The Oregonian: “We believe a crime was committed, but we respect the jury’s decision in the case.”
Thalia Sady, a defense attorney representing Jason Steiner, told The Oregonian: “The jury made the right decision.”
What Happens Next
The Multnomah County jury cleared Steiner of all counts.
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