Men charged in June 9 shooting death plea not guilty

Published 1:52 pm Monday, June 26, 2023

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A pair of men involved in a drive-by shooting that claimed the life of an Austin man and injured two others have entered pleas in the case.

During an initial appearance Monday in Mower County District Court, Manamany Omot Abella, 23, and Cham Obang Oman, 28, pleaded not guilty each face one count of second-degree murder with intent, one count of second-degree murder in a drive-by shooting, two counts of attempted murder in a drive-by shooting and one count of dangerous weapons-drive-by shooting toward a person.

Jenup Chop

Both men, along with Jenup Steven Chop, 18, who has also been charged with the same felonies, were charged in connection to the death of Gumbel Negate Gilo, 25 earlier this month.

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READ MORE: 2 charged in drive-by shooting that kills 1, injures 2

Gilo was killed the night of June 9, when the car he and two others were riding in were allegedly targeted by the trio on Fourth Street Northwest. When officers arrived, they found Gilo dead in the driver’s seat.

A second man was found sitting on the boulevard by a tree with a gunshot wound to his upper arm, and a woman had been shot in the abdomen. Police determined that these two people had also been in the vehicle at the time of the shooting and had exited the car after it crashed.

READ MORE: 3rd person charged in drive-by shooting that killed 1, injured 2

Abella and Oman were subsequently arrested in the following days, along with Chop.

Abella and Oman’s next court date is a jury trial on Sept. 11. Chop is slated for an initial appearance on Thursday.