In the chill of a December evening in Warren, Michigan, a senseless act of violence irrevocably shattered a family’s anticipation of Christmas joy. Brandon David Zaner, a 38-year-old white male, was working a shift at Bray's Hamburgers on December 21, 2024, earning extra money for the holidays. Shortly after 10 p.m., he walked across the street to a Shell gas station at the corner of Nine Mile and Dequindre roads to grab a cup of coffee.
While at the gas station, Zaner encountered a
man who appeared to be irate and was arguing with several people. This man, later identified as 45-year-old Al Curtis Williams of Hazel Park, engaged in a verbal altercation with Zaner. Though the two men were strangers, the brief but heated exchange set in motion a tragic chain of events. Williams left the scene, and Zaner went about his business, drinking his coffee in the parking lot while looking at his phone. Moments before the fatal encounter, Zaner had sent a text message to his mother, thanking her for her unwavering support and expressing his excitement for the upcoming Christmas celebration.
Tragically, Williams returned to the gas station about 15 minutes later, now armed with a handgun. He approached Zaner and struck him in the face, instigating a physical fight. The struggle was short-lived, ending when Williams fired a single shot into Zaner’s chest. Emergency services rushed to the scene, and Zaner was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The father of two young children, a 12-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter, was pronounced dead.
Utilizing surveillance footage from the gas station, Warren police were able to identify Williams as the suspect. Approximately 12 hours after the shooting, he was located and arrested at a hotel in Detroit. Al Curtis Williams was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, carrying a concealed weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of felony firearm. During his arraignment, he was denied bond. If convicted of the murder charge, he faces the possibility of life in prison.
