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Jury trial for both men set for July 8-19

 

A grand jury has indicted the remaining two defendants — Jenup Stepen Chop and Cham Obang Oman — in the June 9, 2023 shooting death of Gumdel Nygare Gilo.

The indictments were unsealed Wednesday in Mower County District Court and charged Chop, 19, with first and second degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and the use of a dangerous weapon in a drive-by shooting.

Oman, 29, has been charged with five counts of aiding and abetting including aiding and abetting first and second degree murder and two counts of aiding and abetting attempted murder and the use of a dangerous weapon.

Both are slated for a July 8-19 jury trial.

In April of this year, the third suspect in the case, Manamany Omot Abella, 24, altered his plea to guilty in a single count of felony aiding an offender – accomplice after the fact  in the case as part of a plea deal. 

A sentencing date of Aug. 2 has been set.

The indictments Tuesday allege that it was Chop that was behind the shooting that killed the 25-year-old Gilo and injured two others at around 10:40 p.m. on June 9, 2023 while court documents allege that Oman actively assisted Chop in the act.

Chop was arrested just days after the shooting and after Oman and Abella leaving this Austin residence with an adult female.

Chop’s court complaint states that investigators learned that Chop was in the white Dodge Durango used in the shooting with both Oman and Abella at the time of the shooting after learning that he had contacted an inmate at the Mower County Jail and discussed the shooting.

In the complaint, Chop claimed that it was Abella and Oman that had the guns and that after hearing the sound of gunshots ducked down in the back seat of the vehicle.

However, A search of Chop’s residence on June 13, 2023, law enforcement turned up 9mm ammunition and a Sig Sauer ammunition holder in a basement crawl space. The ammunition matched shell casings recovered at the scene.

On June 14, security footage obtained from the Runnings the day of the shooting showed Oman and Chop entering Runnings and later shows Oman handing a hand-gun magazine to the cashier.

The store manager gave purchase records to investigators related to the transaction that included the purchase of a Glock 9mm 23-round magazine, later discovered in Albert Lea.

The night of the shooting, more than 20 gunshots were heard through security footage obtained from homes in the area of the killing, with 12 bullet holes discovered in the driver’s side of the vehicle Gilo was driving.

He was found dead at the scene when police arrived along with a male shot in the arm and sitting on the boulevard. An injured female had been found across the street having been shot in the abdomen. Both were in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

The investigation also revealed that a third person on a motorcycle attempted to follow the Durango, but was shot at in order to deter him from following. He was uninjured.

All three are currently being held in the Mower County Jail.