Instacart donates $50K to help pay for funeral of slain worker

Instacart has donated $50,000 to help pay for the funeral of a worker fatally shot in Washington state. 

Justin Krumbah, 38, died and another person was critically injured after a gunman opened fire on Monday at a Fred Meyer grocery store in Richland, Washington. A suspect, Aaron Christopher Kelly, 39, was captured hours later on an interstate northeast of Richland.

Kelly allegedly entered the store pushing a cart with a duffel bag and a backpack, Richland police officials said Tuesday. He encountered Krumbah minutes later, and the two had a 10- to 15-second interaction before Kelly opened fire, police said. The specifics of the interaction were not clear, though police said they do not believe Kelly had any prior connection to either of the victims.  

Officers responded soon after. Krumbah was pronounced dead at the scene, and another victim was transported to a local hospital.

Kelly fled, but was apprehended hours later in his vehicle by a U.S. Marshals Service Task Force, and was taken into custody without incident, police said.

After his arrest, Kelly declined to speak with investigators, but friends and family told police his mental condition had “declined” in recent months, police added.

San Francisco-based Instacart issued a statement by CEO Fidji Simo saying the food delivery service was “heartbroken” by Krumbah’s death.

“We’ve reached out to Justin’s family to offer our support and ensure they have the resources they need during this incredibly difficult time. We’re also in touch with members of the Instacart shopper community who were in the Richland area at the time of this incident to make sure they have the time and resources they need as they work to process and recover from these terrible events,” Simo said in the emailed statement. 

In addition to its contribution to a GoFundMe account set up to help Krumbah’s family cover funeral expenses, Instacart is providing his mother and each of his five siblings with a year of free groceries and access to mental health support should they want it, the company said.

As of Friday afternoon, the GoFundMe account set up to help Krumbah’s family had raised more than $104,000, or more than five times its goal of $20,000.