Salman S. Haji, a 20-year-old Kenyan man, was extradited to the United States (U.S) over the fatal shooting of a woman in a Costco parking lot in Tukwila, Washington.
Haji was apprehended in Kenya by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and returned to the U.S, where he is currently detained at King County Jail in Seattle.
The suspect and his co-accused, Ilyiss Abdi, 20, are facing charges of murder, robbery, and attempted robbery.
“The U.S Attorney’s Office in Seattle confirmed Salman S. Haji was taken into custody by the FBI in Kenya. He is now in the King County Jail in Seattle with a bail set at $5 million (Ksh646 million bail),” a local media outlet in the U.S confirmed.
Why Salman Haji was accused of murder in the U.S
Authorities allege that on January 26, 2024, the pair was involved in a carjacking incident in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighbourhood before driving to a grocery store where they used a stolen credit card.
Surveillance footage later captured them arriving at a Costco parking lot in a stolen Porsche SUV, where Haji allegedly attempted to steal a purse from two elderly women loading groceries into their car.
“Ming was in the passenger seat and reached over to help her sister as she struggled for control of the purse with Haji. Haji then allegedly shot Ming in the chest, killing her,” the media outlet confirmed.
During the attempted robbery, Haji is accused of shooting 67-year-old Yuam Ming in the chest as she tried to assist her sister, whose purse was being snatched.
The attack happened in broad daylight, and nearby security footage reportedly captured the entire sequence, including Haji fleeing the scene in the Porsche SUV, driven by Abdi.
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Police say the Porsche was carjacked earlier that day using a weapon. Witnesses later reported that the suspects removed the vehicle’s license plates shortly before the murder.
When investigators recovered the SUV from a church parking lot in Des Moines, Washington, they discovered the license plates inside the vehicle.
The U.S court filings
Forensic analysis linked Abdi’s fingerprint to the plate and Haji’s to the passenger-side door handle.
According to court filings, Haji fled the U.S five days after the killing, following a social media post that identified him as a suspect.
His co-accused, Abdi, was arrested on May 16 in connection to a separate shooting in Kent and remains in custody with a Ksh 775.2 million bail. Abdi has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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Haji’s next court appearance has not been scheduled, but he also faces a federal charge related to the carjacking.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has confirmed that investigations are ongoing, and both suspects remain in custody awaiting trial.
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