Portland cannabis store worker charged with murder fled robbery but then fired 13 rounds at suspects as they left, court docs say

In **Portland, Oregon**, a dispensary employee, **Jason Steiner**, 34, has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting and killing two people during a robbery attempt at the La Mota dispensary in the St. Johns neighborhood. The two deceased suspects were identified as **King Lawrence**, 18, and **Tahir Burley**, 20, while a third suspect fled the scene and remains at large. Steiner faces an additional charge of attempted murder in connection with the third suspect.

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According to court records, Steiner was in the back room of the dispensary when three people entered and pointed guns at him. He told the robbers they could "take the store" and then retrieved his own firearm, a semi-automatic handgun without a serial number that he had built. The robbers allowed him to leave, and Steiner exited the building. However, instead of fleeing, he positioned himself near the drive-up window and, after seeing one of the suspects with what he believed was a gun in a "low ready" position, he fired multiple shots into the store. Surveillance footage later revealed that none of the robbers had guns in their hands when Steiner began shooting. The two victims were reportedly packing stolen merchandise into duffle bags and did not fire back at Steiner.

Steiner fired until his gun was empty, discharging at least 13 rounds, before calling 911. Both Lawrence and Burley died from gunshot wounds—Lawrence from a head wound and Burley from a chest wound.

Steiner has a criminal history and was still on probation for a 2021 incident where he rammed his vehicle into a former employer’s truck and an unmarked patrol car. He renewed his permit to work in Oregon dispensaries in May 2023 but did not disclose any convictions.

The La Mota dispensary had been targeted in at least four previous armed robberies since 2022, and following these incidents, they limited customer access to drive-through services after 9 p.m. on the night of the fatal shooting.