Anhil David Mirabal Hernandez, 42, was shot and killed on May 27, 2025, in the parking lot of the Walmart at 818 E. 23rd St. in Columbus, Nebraska. Officers arrived about 6:20 p.m. to find him on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest; he was taken to Columbus Community Hospital and later pronounced dead.

Witnesses said the shooter fled the scene immediately after the shooting. A short time later a man surrendered at the Columbus Police Department and was identified as 25-year-old Manuel Alejandro Mesa Cabrera, described in reports as Hernandez’s stepson. Investigators searched Mesa Cabrera’s vehicle and reported finding a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun in the glove compartment that they say is tied to the killing. Prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony.

Anyone who was at the Walmart parking lot that evening or who has information about the incident is asked to come forward.