Omar Padilla, a 36-year-old man from Jacksonville, Florida, was killed on Wednesday night, April 15, 2026, after a dispute at a Southside gas station turned deadly. The shooting happened at the Circle K at 9001 Southside Boulevard, just north of Philips Highway, where police said an argument that began inside the store moved outside into the parking lot.
Around 8:40 p.m., gunfire broke out, and when Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers arrived, they found Padilla unresponsive in the parking lot.
Padilla was rushed to a hospital, but he died from his injuries. Investigators with JSO’s Homicide Unit began working the case immediately, collecting witness statements and reviewing surveillance footage from the area. What had first unfolded as a chaotic late-night shooting scene quickly became a homicide investigation centered on what happened inside the convenience store and how the confrontation escalated once the men were outside.
Police later identified the suspect as Mai-kel Bryant, a 22-year-old convenience store employee. According to Jacksonville authorities, Bryant was arrested and booked into the Duval County Jail in connection with Padilla’s death. He was charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Investigators said the arrest came after witness interviews and surveillance video helped connect Bryant to the shooting.
Padilla, who was also known as “Mito,” was remembered by loved ones as a devoted family man. His family said he had been with his partner, Lesandra, for 19 years and was the father of three children, ages 16, 10, and 2. In the aftermath of his killing, his family described him as hardworking, loving, funny, and someone who made sure the people he cared about were taken care of. His death left his children and longtime partner grieving not only the sudden violence of the loss, but the absence of someone they described as central to their lives.
As of the available reporting, Bryant is the only named suspect and the only person reported arrested in the case. The case remained framed by authorities as a fatal shooting that followed an argument at the gas station, with Bryant facing prosecution on the murder and evidence-tampering charges tied to Padilla’s death.
