Hanut Abdulle faces a murder charge in the 2021 shooting death of 24-year-old Bryce Persang.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man charged in a 2021 Columbus homicide has been returned from Somalia following an international effort involving American and Somali law enforcement agencies, authorities said.
Hanut Abdulle, 23, was turned over to the Columbus Division of Police after being extradited from Mogadishu, the U.S. Marshals Service announced Thursday. Abdulle faces one count of murder in the death of 24-year-old Bryce Persang. The charge is an allegation, and Abdulle has not been convicted in the case.
The extradition gives Columbus investigators custody of one of two men accused in the fatal shooting, nearly five years after Persang was found wounded inside a car on the city’s west side. Authorities said Abdulle left the United States soon after the shooting, beginning a search that eventually extended overseas.
Officers were sent to the 5500 block of Floral Circle South at about 5:42 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2021, after receiving a report of a shooting. They found Persang in the passenger seat of a silver Honda Fit with a gunshot wound. Prairie Township medics took him to Doctors West Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators later said Persang and the two suspects had communicated before arranging to meet near Floral Circle South. Police identified Abdulle and Tahir Said as suspects in June 2022 and obtained arrest warrants charging both men with murder.
The Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team joined the search after Persang’s mother contacted the task force, officials said. Investigators determined that Abdulle had fled the country shortly after the killing.
Authorities said Abdulle was apprehended in Somalia in May. His return to Ohio involved assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the Somalia Police Force and other law enforcement partners.
Michael D. Black, the U.S. marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, said cooperation among the agencies was essential to finding Abdulle and bringing him back to face the charge. He said the Marshals Service regularly works with federal, state and local agencies to locate fugitives.
Officials have not released details about how Abdulle was located, the circumstances of his arrest in Somalia or the legal process used to return him to the United States. Authorities also have not announced whether additional charges will be sought.
Said, the second man charged in Persang’s death, remained at large Friday. Authorities believe he may also be in Somalia. The investigation and the effort to locate him are continuing.
Author note: Last updated July 17, 2026.