In the early evening of September 7, 2022, Walter Omal, a 31-year-old man, was with a group of people in Deering Oaks park in Portland, Maine. An argument broke out between Omal and another man, Amin Awes Mohamed. The confrontation escalated, and just before 6:30 p.m., a single gunshot rang out near a pair of park benches facing the pond. Omal had been shot in the chest. First responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and died early the next morning.
The scene in the park was described as chaotic as more than a dozen people scattered after the shot was fired.
The Portland Police Department launched an immediate investigation. Within 24 hours, they arrested 38-year-old Amin Awes Mohamed of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and charged him with murder. Investigators were led to Mohamed by witness accounts. At least three witnesses identified the shooter by nicknames and a description of a short Black male with long hair wearing all black clothing. One witness, who was Omal's uncle, told police he had known Mohamed for more than two decades. Another key witness, Mohamed's girlfriend, initially denied seeing the shooting but later admitted to detectives that she saw it happen after they had been fighting. In their search for the murder weapon, police took the significant step of draining the park's pond, but the search was ultimately unsuccessful.
Amin Awes Mohamed initially pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. His trial was scheduled to begin in late 2024. However, before the trial commenced, Mohamed, then 40, accepted a plea agreement. He entered an Alford plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter. This type of plea means the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that the prosecution has enough evidence to likely secure a conviction. As a result of the plea deal, Mohamed was sentenced to 10 years in prison. During the legal process, Walter Omal's family described him as a hardworking, kind, and joyful man who was deeply loved by his family, especially his nieces and nephews.
