CHEYENNE — Police arrested a Cheyenne man Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old that occurred nearly three weeks ago in the parking lot of King Soopers.
Thursday morning, 21-year-old Mansoor Ali was booked on one count of second-degree murder and four counts of aggravated assault in relation to a Sept. 20 road rage incident that resulted in the death of a 19-year-old.
Ali had identified himself to Cheyenne Police officers as the shooter on the night of the incident, according to a news release sent to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Thursday.
He was immediately detained, and then released while officers continued their investigation. The results of that investigation were then forwarded to the District Attorney for a charging decision, after which Ali turned himself in.
The incident
On the evening of Sept. 20, Ali was at the Walmart parking lot, located at 2032 Dell Range Blvd., where he witnessed an altercation involving store staff, the 19-year-old victim and his three friends, according to the release.
He offered assistance to Walmart staff, but they declined. Ali, who was driving a pickup truck, followed a passenger car containing the victim and his three friends down Dell Range Boulevard.
He activated his high-beam headlights from behind the passenger car, harassing the group, according to the release. In response, the passenger car accelerated then abruptly hit the brakes, which police say escalated the conflict.
As both vehicles continued driving recklessly, Ali called his brother, stating that he would “lure” the group to a nearby parking lot.
Ali parked at the King Soopers, and when the car passed by, he got out of his truck. According to police, he was yelling and pointed a pistol at the car containing the victim and his three friends.
Seeing the gun, the driver sped away from the lot, but returned moments later. When the vehicles again crossed paths, the 19-year-old victim got out of the moving car holding a firearm.
Ali then fired several shots, striking the victim, who collapsed. When police arrived, Ali identified himself as the shooter and was temporarily detained.
Three weeks later
Though Ali identified himself as the shooter and was detained on the night of the incident, he was ultimately let go as police investigated the incident. An arrest wasn’t made until weeks later.
“These investigations take time, and while we can’t always release details immediately, progress is being made behind the scenes,” said Chief Mark Francisco. “I want to thank each member of our team who worked to build a strong case that ultimately led to these charges.”
According to Alex Farkas, CPD public information officer, it is standard not to release the names of suspects until the prosecuting attorney has formally filed charges or an arrest has been made.
When asked what assurance the department had that Ali wouldn’t flee when released by police, Farkas assured the WTE that he had remained cooperative throughout the investigation. CPD did not clarify why Ali was released from custody after admitting to shooting the 19-year-old.
The name of the victim has yet to be released to the public. The Laramie County Coroner will release the identity of the decedent at a later time.