In the early morning hours of February 15, 2025, a confrontation in the parking lot of a Tops grocery store in Mexico, New York, ended in the tragic death of 32-year-old Jacob Walsh. The incident, which occurred around 2:54 a.m., escalated from a physical altercation to a fatal shooting, leaving the community in shock and a family mourning the loss of a beloved son, brother, and father.
According to a longtime friend who was with Walsh that night, the two had been out walking and dumpster diving when they noticed a black pickup truck seemingly following them. They attempted to evade the vehicle, at one point hiding in a dumpster, but the truck reappeared with its high beams on. A man, later identified as Zachary W. Chilson, exited the truck and began arguing with Walsh. The verbal dispute quickly turned physical. Walsh reportedly gained the upper hand in the fight, but as Chilson broke free and returned to his truck, he turned and fired a single shot that struck Walsh in the chest.
Chilson, a 31-year-old white male, fled the scene in his dark-colored Chevrolet pickup. He was described as wearing a green camouflage shirt with a hunting tag on the back. Later that same day, New York State Police located and arrested Chilson. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
In his statement to investigators, Chilson claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that Walsh and his friend had thrown snowballs at his truck. However, the witness who was with Walsh made no mention of snowballs in his account to the police. Following his arraignment on February 16, 2025, Chilson was remanded to the Oswego County Jail, where he is being held without bail. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Jacob Walsh is remembered by his family as a kind and selfless man who was a devoted father to his four children.
