FOLLOWUP: Aaron Parypa sentenced to 21 months for manslaughter

Two months after Aaron Parypa, the West Seattleite originally charged with murder for a deadly shooting near Sea-Tac Airport last year, struck a plea bargain, he has been sentenced. The online record of this afternoon’s sentencing hearing says King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas went along with the recommendation made by both prosecutors and defense attorneys – 21 months in prison, with credit for the nearly 8 months he already has served. Parypa has no prior record.

When we reported in May that he had pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter, we didn’t know his sentencing date, and failed to follow up until two people e-mailed us late today asking what happened. The information just became available after online court records were down for several hours.

Backstory on the case is in our report on the charges filed after he was arrested in December at his West Seattle home. Parypa, now 40, shot at two men who had contacted him about buying marijuana and then apparently stole it from him during a meetup in a Burien parking lot; a pursuit ensued, ending in the gunfire near Sea-Tac. One man, 28-year-old Andrae Medina-Wong, was killed. The brief court report on today’s sentencing says family and friends of both Parypa and Medina-Wong were in court for this afternoon’s 46-minute hearing.

33 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Aaron Parypa sentenced to 21 months for manslaughter"

  • Will W. July 22, 2016 (10:37 pm)

    21 months – 8 month credit, 13 months for killing intentionally? What a world.

    • WSB July 22, 2016 (11:07 pm)

      Since the plea bargain meant no trial, we don’t know what would have emerged in testimony. But the online files include the defense lawyers’ pre-sentencing report, in which they say Parypa shot the two men after they came out of their car pointing guns at him, at the SeaTac intersection to which he had followed them after they reportedly made off with his marijuana in Burien. A gun was found by Medina-Wong’s body; the defense report says it was jammed.

  • Jon July 22, 2016 (11:31 pm)

    Yeah, if it’s a case of self-defense (which it appears to be?), then he’s mostly just facing The War On Drugs charges for the pot; maybe time stacked atop that charge if he wasn’t legally registered to carry concealed.

    Either way, it’s really a shame the amount of damage criminalizing pot seems to have done to this country.

  • Connie July 23, 2016 (2:51 am)

    No its a shame what guns have done to the country…and for the record it was pre meditated murder..not manslaughter …Not self defence

    • Jon July 23, 2016 (3:33 am)

      Well, friend, without them we wouldn’t have a country.

    • Marvin July 24, 2016 (5:57 pm)

      “Premeditated”? 

  • d July 23, 2016 (6:45 am)

    All the drug laws do is cause this sort of violence we’ve seen it with alcohol during the prohibition wake up America it’s very simple this is the land of the free and the home of the Brave but it’s been turned into the land of the fee and the home of the lame

  • Friend of Aaron July 23, 2016 (7:24 am)

    As friends pointed out in the comments of the WSB blog coverage in December, more facts about the case emerged.  Two  felons who had been going around robbing several people and bragging about it on social media also robbed Aaron that day.  Aaron had no idea that they were armed (as he stated in court), he followed them to get the license plate.  When the two assailants figured that he was a witness to robbery they decided to kill him.  Short said, “Andrae asked if he should shoot him now to get him off us.”  They stopped their car with the intent to kill Aaron.  They both got out of the car with 9 mm guns, and approached Aaron’s vehicle.  Had Medina-Wong inserted his clip properly Aaron would be dead.  The fact of the case is that the bullet jammed as he tried to shoot Aaron.   After the shooting Short ran and hid in a wooded area for two hours because he thought he would be implicated in the murder.  While he was running a witness saw him with a gun and while he was hiding 2 police officers heard a gun fired in the woods.  He told officers when they picked him up that as he ran away from the scene he believed that Medina-Wong had killed Aaron. 

    As stated above Aaron had no prior record.  He completely acted in self-defense.    He took an Alford Plea which means he is not admitting to guilt.  Because he was not guilty, he was simply defending his life against 2 illegally armed felons who got out of their car and tried to kill him.

  • WSince86 July 23, 2016 (8:25 am)

    Connie- Facts, please? Anything to back your statement?

    Friend of Aaron –  This is the exact account I have been told by  another intimately involved with this case.  I’m glad your friend is still alive.  

  • erico July 23, 2016 (10:37 am)

    Will –  maybe you could try getting some details and context before delivering a knee-jerk “law and order” reponse?

  • furor scribendi July 23, 2016 (10:57 am)

    Sad ending to a sordid tale. Not enough jail time to keep this reckless shooter, who worked hard to avoid any responsibility for what he did,  off the streets, though. At least we see some terrific police work to connect all the dots and solve this crime-filled episode, and another reminder to help youth find better ways to live before they choose the path to a life of criminality.

  • Rr July 23, 2016 (1:51 pm)

    Friend of Aaron, the only problem I find with your account of events is that he followed these felons to get their plate info. What exactly would he have done with that ?

  • waterworld July 23, 2016 (1:54 pm)

    Just for the record, 21 months is the low end of the standard range sentence (21 to 27 months) for second degree manslaughter, without a firearm or deadly weapon “enhancement.”  If the plea had included the firearm enhancement, that would have added three years, with no allowance for good time, to the 21months.  The sentence here is consistent with other sentences for second degree manslaughter with no prior criminal history.

  • Friend of Aaron July 23, 2016 (2:19 pm)

    Furor Scribendi– The sad ending is that the state decided to give immunity to the other armed felon involved in this crime.  The other sad reality was that the 9 mm guns were purchased and illegally given to these felons so that they could go around robbing people.  These people are not being prosecuted for supplying felons with guns!  The only thing that Aaron did was defend his life against 2 armed assailants approaching him.   The police work was less than stellar as they believed Short was telling the truth even though he changed his story multiple times to save himself.   Plus his story did not add up to the physical evidence!  The saying: “There’s no honor among thieves” very much rings true.

    I wish the WS Blog would have been present at the sentencing to have witnessed the amount of taunts and threats shown to Aaron in the court room.  The flagrant disregard and disrespect for the court and the judge that was allowed to continue by friends of Medina-Wong’s was horrifying.   It truly and unfortunately shows the character of the deceased by the people he associated with.

  • Howard July 23, 2016 (2:30 pm)

    My Brother is serving 40 years, without the possibility of parole, for selling weed and he didn’t even own any guns. 

  • Friend of Dre July 23, 2016 (3:03 pm)

    I have known Dre since he was a kid. I Wish I could have been there to talk some sense into him. 21 months for murder is ridiculous but at the end of the day no one is to blame for Dre’s death but Dre.

    The idea that the killer followed Dre around for blocks in an attempt to get the licence the plate number then open fired on him with an assault rifle in self defense is absurd. 

    • KT July 23, 2016 (4:41 pm)

      Exactly.

  • Friend of Aaron July 23, 2016 (11:37 pm)

    There are several scenarios about what Aaron could have done with the license info:  1. Call the police

    2.  Post the make and model of their car and license number on Craigslist as a warning to others.

    Both Medina-Wong and Short also used Magic Jack accounts to hide their numbers from unsuspecting victims of their robberies.  The bottom line is Aaron didn’t start this, never asked for this to happen and never wanted it to happen.  

  • ScubaFrog July 24, 2016 (10:43 am)

    I’d like to think that if I were robbed at gunpoint, I’d call the police.  I’d like to think I wouldn’t hop in my car with a gun, chasing after the perpetrators.  That’s probably why this man is in prison – and why his case wasn’t dismissed as self defense, or a lesser charge.   We don’t get to ‘play police’.  And while Mr. Parypa may have entered an Alford plea – and denies guilt, his record will forever show that he’s a felon, convicted of manslaughter.  He’ll never legally own a firearm again. 

    I’d like to hope that most people, if they’ve been robbed at gunpoint – call the police.   And don’t chase after the perpetrators with a firearm.

    “The only thing that Aaron did was defend his life against 2 armed assailants approaching him.” This statement is offensive in its dishonesty.  Mr. Parypa went chasing after the subjects with a gun.  He went immediately from victim, to assailant. 

  • WesupportAP July 24, 2016 (10:57 am)

    As someone who has known Aaron for 30+ years and  has been a close friend as well as followed the case I am frustrated and saddened by the judicial system. Prosecutors need to admit when they make a mistake. They need to help fix the problem with guns and not make it worse.

    I’d like you all to take a minute and really think about something- Regardless of the marijuana sale. I want you to think about something. Imagine you have to make a choice to save your life when being approached by not one but two armed men. You had a rifle and you have the means to defend yourself. Well what would you do in that split second. I’d almost guarantee that most of you would try to save your own life. I have children, I’m a female and I am not familiar with guns. But I can tell you this if I had a choice I would do whatever I needed to to save my own life. Especially for the sake of my family and friends. Aaron didn’t ask for this- This could be any of us, Maybe you posted a tv for sale and you were robbed at gunpoint, It doesn’t have to be weed it could be anything. Wong & Short did this on a daily basis- Their facebook accounts said things like “Should I pull a lick or go to work today?” This was their way of life. These were scumbags who beat there women, Had said women buy them guns because they were felons and could not. They have criminal records. The list goes on. had you have been in the courtroom on Friday you would have had a chance to meet their associates. Never in my life have I seen such disrespect for a Judge. They threatened Aarons life in court, The swore, they jumped around, They interrupted. These are men that obviously have no respect for authority. These are men you will see eventually on Washington’s most wanted.

    Lets also talk about Short. He faces no charges and gets off scott free. His friend Medina-Wong died and his Victim Aaron is in Jail. How about the women who bought these men guns when they could not buy them. She gets to live her life- No Charges. She is just as much to blame for this. I hope the guilt is with her everyday.

    This is why Gun laws still happen. The criminals get them regardless. Aaron had a rifle which is legal to possess and carry. That day it saved his life.

    Aaron had no criminal record. Should he have sold weed to these guys? No. But he didn’t ask to be robbed that day, He didn’t ask to have 2 illegally armed men come at him point blank with guns. Thankfully Medina-Wongs gun jammed.

    I’m thankful that the gun jammed that day and Aaron didn’t die.

    • ScubaFrog July 24, 2016 (12:31 pm)

      “Aaron didn’t ask for this” – but in a sense he did.  Like I said, he went from being the victim – to being the assailant, the second he grabbed his assault rifle, and started following the suspects.

      And that’s why he’s in prison. 

      It’s unfortunate, and perhaps revealing, that Mr. Parypa, and his proponents won’t recognize his culpability, to that end.

  • Friend of Aaron July 24, 2016 (12:16 pm)

    Scubafrog- Did I ever say that Aaron was robbed at gun point?   In fact I said the opposite in my first comment.  Aaron had no idea that Short and Medina-Wong were armed when he followed them. 

    He did defend his life against 2 ILLEGALLY armed felons.  That statement is absolutely the truth.   The police went with Short’s original story that Aaron followed them and fired into their car.   The fact is the physical evidence didn’t match that.   No blood was found in the car and Medina-Wong died outside of the car with his gun near him.   That is because he and Short got out of the car and came after Aaron.  Medina-Wong and Short obviously didn’t know that Aaron could defend himself.  They got out of their car and and came at him with the intent to kill Aaron.  Also, go ahead and call the police as 2 people are approaching you with guns.   Good luck with that!


    It is horrible that gun violence is still so prevalent in this country, but the truth is the criminals will always find a way to get guns.  Stricter gun laws or not.  Just like the way these two criminals obtained their guns.   


    I am very glad that my friend defended himself and is alive today because of it.  Because the opposite outcome could have easily happened if Medina-Wong inserted that clip properly.

    • ScubaFrog July 24, 2016 (12:37 pm)

      That almost makes it worse.  Mr. Parypa “wasn’t robbed at gunpoint” (for his drugs) – then he retrieves an assault rifle, and pursues the alleged robbers… 

      Yeah, it doesn’t sound good.  Medina-Wong and his friend weren’t angels.  Neither was Parypa (and that’s why he’s in prison).

      None of this was ‘self defense’ (as he was pursuing Medina-Wong with an assault rifle), and I’m glad the prosecutors recognized Mr. Parypa’s culpability.  They acted appropriately to hold him accountable. 

  • Double Dub Resident July 24, 2016 (12:47 pm)
    Maybe this?

    RCW 77.15.460
    Loaded rifle or shotgun in vehicle — Unlawful use or possession — Unlawful use of a loaded firearm — Penalty. 

    (1) A person is guilty of unlawful possession of a loaded rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle, as defined in RCW 46.04.320, or upon an off-road vehicle, as defined in RCW 46.04.365, if:

    (a) The person carries, transports, conveys, possesses, or controls a rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle, or upon an off-road vehicle, except as allowed by department rule; and

    (b) The rifle or shotgun contains shells or cartridges in the magazine or chamber, or is a muzzle-loading firearm that is loaded and capped or primed

  • West Seattle Hipster July 24, 2016 (2:24 pm)

    Last year in a post here on the WSB,  Mr. Parypa mentioned a terminal illness and pending amputations:

     https://westseattleblog.com/2015/10/west-seattle-crime-watch-restored-pickup-truck-taken/

     Were his medical issues taken into account in regards to his sentencing?

     

  • Friend of Dre July 24, 2016 (6:15 pm)

    Like I said no one is to blame for Dre’s death but Dre himself. That was my friend, I have none him before he was a teenager. I am able to see past him being my friend and have a non biased opinion about the situation. 

    Dre’s death was murder. A man got mad because he got robbed, chased the robbers down and killed one with an assault rifle. That is not self defense. What Dre did was dumb and heartless but it didn’t deserve a death sentence.

  • bolo July 24, 2016 (9:07 pm)

    Drug dealing is an inherently risky proposition. Unfortunate for anyone who enters into that line of “work” without considering the high level of risk.

    WesupportAP, you ask us if we would not defend ourselves with our rifle in this situation. Well most of us have decided against drug dealing to avoid the risks involved, and most of us do not conduct business with an accessible rifle, so that makes it hard to answer your question. My answer really is that I would defend myself by not entering into that type of situation. Presuming that your friend was not forced into drug dealing, with a rifle nearby.

    Please, I apologize if I have irritated your grieving process, that was not my intention.

    • WSB July 24, 2016 (9:31 pm)

      Regarding the rifle: There is an extensive pre-sentencing report filed by the defense. Generally, both the defense and the prosecution will file these reports. The prosecution report is basically nuts and bolts – the police/prosecution outline of the case, the defendant’s lack of a criminal record, recap of the plea bargain (it was NOT an Alford plea, to the person who mentioned that – prosecution reduced the charges, defendant pleaded guilty). The defense report went more into the defendant’s side of the story and a lot of his personal background. The defense contends that the rifle was not brought along in relation to the expected marijuana sale: “If he had gone to trial, the evidence would have demonstrated that Parypa was about to travel to his father’s farm, where they had set up a firing range and where Parypa was going to test fire the rifle.” The only other mentions of that gun in the defense report indicate that it was within his reach somewhere in his vehicle, as he is described as “grabbing” it when he felt he was in danger. – TR

  • Family of Air July 25, 2016 (12:52 pm)

    Dear people as Aaron’s family member we will always pray for Amdre and family. He was your people.  He will be missed.  In the court room one of you guys called him a Bitc.. Are you in high school? Ok we understand your feeling. You had a great loss.  But these two guys destroy Air”s life.  He will have a felony.  Maybe you all have felonie and you don’t think thats no big deal. And to the tall one.  Who said “you will take him out. ‘ In open court really. A Judge a lawlyer and family as  witnesses.  Are you ready for Murder 1 in your name.

      Will that bring Andrea back?

     Its holds oh about 30 or 40 years.  Did you want to go to Jail for that much time? Aaron has God in his life and he protected him from a 9mm gun pointed at his head on that day. We are told to stay away and you guys need to stay away.  You will never get over this until you put God first. I respect the two aunts who talked.  God bless you both and sorry for your loss. Read John 3:16. God loves all you guys,but doesn’t love sin. He will for gives and for get. Lets all forgive each other. Thats what Jesus did on the cross. He forgave the people who killed him.

  • nofriendofaaron's July 25, 2016 (4:50 pm)

    “He will have a felony.” HE MURDERED SOMEONE! Aaron deserves a felony and more than a 21-month sentence. Aaron chose to ruin his life and Medina and Short are equally responsible for what happened.

    So, Short was running to the woods and Medina has a jammed gun pointed at his head yet Aaron shot seven rounds, two of them fatal, at the victim’s car in self-defense? Does this make sense to anyone else?! This does not align with any of the court documents. Then he deleted his craigslist ad four minutes later, sold his car, reported his phone stolen and then went about his business as if nothing happened. These are the actions of an innocent mad defending his life? Clearly the detectives and professionals who worked the case did not agree this was self-defense. And if he was going to shoot that gun recreationally, why would he load it before he got to the farm and drive around with it? Come on, he drives around with a loaded rifle because he’s just as much of a thug as Medina and Short.

    He’s exactly where he needs to be, in prison.

  • Family of Air July 25, 2016 (6:57 pm)

    Not a friend of Aaron

    Aaron didn’t know the gun of wong’s was jammed.  Until much later from his attorney. Had he known he would drive away. They (Andre and Short) didn’t have to stop there car with doors open moter running.  They alteady had the stolen MJ mary jane

    I don’t think they knew Aaron had a weapon. His face on the floor.  He didn’t know where the shots hit. Yes self defence. The reason its so low because the court could not prove murder2. If went to trial.  But could prove guns and MJ. About 5 to 15 years. Not guilty of Murder. I know a lot more about this case than any of you. I have all the paper work. Stop judging Aaron.  You were not there. The one with out sin cast the next stone. Look into your own life.  There is only two roads.  One to hell and one to heaven.  What road are you on?

    • ScubaFrog July 25, 2016 (9:23 pm)

      “Stop judging Aaron.”  No.  This man was firing his AR-15 indiscriminately in public.  So not only was he selling drugs, but he’s got an AR-15 laying in his car, and he’s chasing down men who just robbed him, in a drug deal gone bad.  “But he’s innocent!”… Seriously?

      No, Aaron’s been judged.  And convicted.  He’s a convicted murderer now.

      It’s sad that Aaron has so many… ‘interesting’ people in his life, who are clearly enabling the lifestyle that just put him in prison.  How sad for him, and for our West Seattle Community.   

      Taking responsibility for your actions, is something that responsible, mature people do.  Aaron and his supporters have dodged any and all culpability so far.  That speaks volumes.

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