Phoenix police arrested a man on suspicion of fatally shooting Brandon Smith on Dec. 16, 2023, at Clean Freak Car Wash.
William Murray, a 30-year-old who worked at the car wash, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder by Phoenix police on Friday.
According to court records, police received a trespassing call at about 5:40 a.m. on Dec. 16 at Clean Freak Wash, but a shooting call came from the same location before police were dispatched.
Police said they responded to the shooting at Clean Freak Car Wash at about 7 a.m. Police said when officers arrived, they found Smith with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died, according to police.
Witnesses who were at the car wash with Smith said Murray kept telling them all to leave before it opened, according to court documents.
The manager of the carwash said there were a few people experiencing homelessness staying on the property and that Murray had told them to leave, according to court documents. The manager said it was not an issue because the group’s location would not prevent them from opening the car wash. The manager said Murray grabbed some of their belongings and went to throw them in the trash, documents state.