A cannabis store employee who is accused of fatally shooting two people who allegedly attempted to rob the business fired at them from outside the store after they let him leave, according to court records.
Jason Steiner, 34, is accused of second-degree murder in the deaths of 18-year-old King Lawrence and 20-year-old Tahir Burley. A third robbery suspect escaped.
Steiner, who turned himself in on Wednesday, told police he was in the back room of the St. Johns location of the La Mota dispensary chain when he heard people come inside. Once he came out, Steiner found three people pointing guns at him. He told them they could “take the store,” telling police he feared being killed, court records say.
He grabbed a bag out of the back room with his gun in it and told them he was leaving. The three people allowed him to go, and as he was leaving, Steiner told police he heard one of them say, “What does he have on him?”
“At that point, there was no apparent reason why Mr. Steiner did not leave the area,” the affidavit stated. “The individuals were inside the building, the door was closed.”
Steiner took the gun he told police he made and waited at the door for them to come out — the only one in and out of the business. When no one came out, he went up to the drive-up window to look in and saw them inside, according to the affidavit.
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