Hazel Park man convicted in fatal Warren gas station shooting

A Hazel Park man has been convicted in a fatal shooting at a Warren, Michigan, gas station in December 2024. 

Al Curtis Williams, 46, was convicted Monday after a four-day trial in Macomb County Circuit Court, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said. The guilty verdict was issued on first-degree murder, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm. The murder charge carries a penalty of up to life without parole. 

Sentencing is scheduled for March 12. In the meantime, Williams remains in custody at the Macomb County Jail. 

"The jury's verdict holds the defendant accountable for the murder of a stranger, an absolute senseless act of violence," Lucido said. 

The shooting that resulted in the charges happened Dec. 21, 2024, at a Shell gas station at Dequindre Road and 9 Mile Road in Warren. Authorities said Williams got into a verbal dispute inside the gas station with Brandon Zaner, 38, of Utica. While Williams left the store, he returned to the area and confronted Zaner in a nearby parking lot. 

The victim was struck in the head with a handgun, and then one round was fired that struck him in the chest. Zaner was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.

The above video originally aired on Dec. 24, 2024.