A Hazel Park man who shot and killed a stranger outside a Warren gas station in December 2024 has been ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison, prosecutors said. On Thursday, a judge sentenced Al Curtis Williams to life without the possibility of parole for the fatal shooting of Brandon Zaner after a dispute that started inside the Shell station at Dequindre Road and 9 Mile Road. Zaner was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Verdict and sentence
After a four-day trial in Macomb County Circuit Court, a jury found Williams guilty of premeditated first-degree murder, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm, according to a press release from the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Steve Fox and Carmen Rankin handled the case, and Williams remained in the Macomb County Jail while awaiting sentencing. The office said Judge Edward Servitto presided over the trial and set sentencing for March 12.
In a statement to CBS Detroit, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said, “The defendant will spend the remainder of his life in prison.” CBS reported that the life-without-parole sentence followed Williams’ February conviction and that prosecutors see the outcome as long-awaited accountability for what they described as senseless violence.
What happened
Authorities say the confrontation began inside the Shell store, where Williams and Zaner argued before Williams walked out, then returned minutes later. He then confronted Zaner in a nearby parking lot and fired a single round that struck Zaner in the chest, according to ClickOnDetroit. Zaner collapsed at the scene and was taken to a local hospital, where he died. Williams was arrested about 12 hours later at a Detroit hotel and arraigned in Warren District Court.
Family remembers
Zaner’s family told CBS Detroit in December 2024 that he was a devoted father who had been working at a nearby restaurant and stepped across the street for coffee before the shooting. His brother said Zaner left behind two children, ages 12 and 8, and that relatives have been struggling to make sense of the loss. The family created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses, according to the December report.
Legal notes…