Santa Barbara Deputies Identify Man Fatally Shot Inside Goleta Ralphs as 34-Year-Old Abdou Rahman Nyan

Nine days after Santa Barbara County deputies fatally shot a man inside the Ralphs grocery store in Goleta, the Sheriff’s Office has released new details — including the suspect’s identity and a clearer account of the moments that led to gunfire.⁠
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The incident began around 2:39 p.m. on Monday, October 20, when deputies responded to reports of “a suspect actively assaulting a victim with a weapon” at the Magnolia Shopping Center on Hollister Avenue, authorities said. The victim, an adult male, had reportedly intervened after witnessing the suspect, 34-year-old Abdou Rahman Nyan of Connecticut, abuse his dog. The victim was stabbed twice and treated at a nearby hospital before being released.⁠
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Nyan then reportedly fled into the nearby Ralphs, which was open at the time and occupied by customers and employees. According to The Gambia Journal, Nyan was a U.S. Army veteran, National Guardsman, and IT specialist. His mother, identified as Amie Noho, is a well-known member of California’s tight-knit Gambian community.⁠