How US Murder Suspect Was Tracked and Arrested in Nairobi

Salman S. Haji, a 20-year-old US national, is now in custody at King County Jail in Seattle, Washington, after being extradited from Nairobi.

He is yet to face multiple felony charges, including murder, robbery, and attempted robbery, following the death of 67-year-old Yuam Ming in January 2024. A judge has set Haji’s bail at $5 million (approximately £3.9 million). The charges relate to an incident outside a Costco store in Tukwila, Washington. Haji’s apprehension in Kenya followed a months-long international manhunt involving FBI agents, Kenyan authorities, and Interpol.

He reportedly fled the United States five days after the shooting, boarding a flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after his identification as a suspect through social media. No date has been set for his next court appearance.
According to court documents, the fatal shooting occurred during an attempted robbery in broad daylight. Surveillance footage shows Haji and his alleged accomplice, Ilyiss Abdi, arriving at the Costco in a stolen Porsche Cayenne.

Authorities say the vehicle was carjacked earlier that morning in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighbourhood. It is alleged that the suspects rear-ended a woman’s car to force her to stop, then threatened her at gunpoint and stole her vehicle and credit cards. Investigators report the stolen cards were later used to purchase gift cards at a grocery store in Normandy Park. Law enforcement officials state that this tactic is often employed by criminal syndicates to launder stolen assets.

The suspects then drove to the Tukwila Costco, where they allegedly targeted Ming and her sister as they loaded groceries into their car. During the subsequent struggle over a handbag, Haji allegedly shot Ming in the chest before fleeing in the stolen SUV. The Porsche was later found abandoned in a church car park. Forensic analysis reportedly linked Haji’s fingerprints to the passenger-side door and Abdi’s to the vehicle’s number plate, strengthening the prosecution’s case.

Abdi was arrested in May in connection with a separate shooting and remains in custody on a $6 million (approximately £4.7 million) bail. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Haji, who has reportedly used multiple aliases including Salmon Subeyr Haji, Salman Hagi, and Markell Somo Jefferson, was detained at Gigiri Police Station in Nairobi before being handed over to US authorities.