A Laramie County jury has returned not-guilty verdicts for Mansoor Ali, closing a closely watched case tied to a deadly encounter outside a King Soopers in Cheyenne. Ali, 22, had been on trial in connection with the shooting death of 19-year-old Benjamin Glenn.
Jurors cleared Ali of second-degree murder, rejecting the prosecution’s claim that the shooting met the elements of that offense. In addition to the homicide charge, the panel also found Ali not guilty on four counts of aggravated assault and battery.
The case centered on what occurred in the grocery store’s parking lot, where Glenn approached Ali while armed with a firearm. Ali’s defense team argued that the situation presented an immediate threat and that Ali’s decision to shoot was a lawful act of self-defense.
The verdict followed a high-profile trial that drew significant attention because it involved competing narratives about danger, decision-making in tense moments, and the legal boundaries of defensive force. Ultimately, the jury accepted the self-defense argument offered by Ali’s attorneys.
For many observers who prioritize individual rights and the principle that citizens should not be punished for protecting themselves when faced with an armed threat, the outcome reinforces the importance of due process and the right to self-defense. With the acquittal on all listed charges, Ali leaves the courtroom without criminal convictions from this incident.