A 20-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a Washington state woman in a Costco parking lot has been captured and returned to the U.S. after an attempt to flee to Kenya, federal prosecutors announced.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Salman Haji, who was 19 at the time of the deadly January 2024 attack, has been deported from Kenya and is now in FBI custody. He faces federal charges of murder and attempted robbery for the killing of 67-year-old Yuam Ming in Tukwila.
Broad Daylight Attack Caught on Camera
Ming was loading groceries into her car alongside her sister when prosecutors say Haji and an accomplice, 20-year-old Ilyiss Abdi, approached in a stolen Porsche Cayenne and attempted to rob the women at gunpoint. Surveillance footage from the scene allegedly shows the violent struggle that followed — and ends with Ming being shot as she tried to help her sister during the robbery.
The attack occurred outside a Costco store in broad daylight, and investigators later tied Haji and Abdi to the crime through multiple surveillance videos. One video, according to federal officials, shows the two suspects shopping at a grocery store in Normandy Park just 40 minutes before the fatal shooting.
Carjacking Preceded Murder
Prosecutors say the Porsche used in the attack was stolen earlier that day in a carjacking carried out by Haji in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. According to court documents, Haji followed a woman, rear-ended her car, and then pulled a gun on her while she searched for insurance information.
“While the victim was retrieving documents, Haji pointed a firearm at her and demanded her keys and money,” said the DOJ. “He then fled in the stolen vehicle.”
Indictment and International Capture
Following the January 2024 murder, Haji fled the United States. A federal indictment was issued in June 2024, formally charging him with murder and attempted robbery. He was eventually located in Kenya and deported with assistance from U.S. and Kenyan authorities.
“Mr. Haji was deported from Kenya and taken into custody by the FBI,” said DOJ spokesperson Emily Langlie.
U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman praised the international cooperation that led to Haji’s arrest, stating after the indictment: “This defendant needs to be held accountable.”
Abdi’s current legal status has not been disclosed.
