Warren gas station shooting: Community grief exploited by fake fundraiser
WARREN, Mich (FOX 2) - It's an unbearable tragedy. A father is shot to death at a Warren gas station just before Christmas.
As the family grieved, they would learn that someone had created a fundraiser in an attempt to keep all the money for themselves.
On Sunday morning, Stephen Zaner learned his younger brother had been shot and killed.
38-year-old Brandon Zaner, on a break from his job as a cook at this burger joint in Warren, went to get a cup of coffee at a nearby gas station when the alleged shooter came in, upset.
Brandon walked outside and texted his mom. That’s when 45-year-old Al Williams returned 15 minutes later with a gun, allegedly shooting Brandon in the chest, then leaving the scene at 9 Mile and Dequindre.
Featured
Father of two killed in Warren after argument near hotel, police say
A father of two is dead after a shooting near a hotel in Warren. While that's where the victim lost his life, police believe the events leading up to the gunfire started earlier at another location.
The day after Christmas, a funeral took place for Brandon.
The alleged shooter was denied bond, charged with second-degree murder and three other felonies.
Stephen and the rest of the family set up a GoFundMe page to cover funeral costs and set some money aside to help care for the kids, who are 8 and 12 years old.
That’s when they took a second blow.
An impostor copied and pasted the information from the real page to a phony one to try and steal from the kindness of others.
The fake was on a site called HopeFundMe, which has been taken down after multiple complaints.
The actual GoFundMe page is up and running.