DETROIT – A Detroit gas station clerk is accused of fatally shooting an unarmed, locked out customer in the head after a dispute that stemmed from beef jerky.
The shooting happened around 3:05 a.m. Monday, June 5, at a gas station in the 4410 block of Vernor Highway, according to authorities.
Police said Moad Mohamed Al-Gaham, 40, of Detroit, was working as the store clerk when Anthony McNary 25, of Detroit, walked inside.
The two men got into an argument when McNary took a beef jerky product and put it in his pocket, officials said. Al-Gaham went through McNary’s pockets, took out the beef jerky, and placed it back on the shelf, according to police.
McNary tried to pay for the beef jerky after the confrontation, but Al-Gaham refused to accept his money, authorities said. Al-Gaham forced McNary to leave the store and manually locked the entrance, preventing McNary from coming back in, police said.
Al-Gaham then pulled out a handgun and fired a shot through the doors at McNary, striking him in the forehead, according to authorities. McNary was not armed, officials said.
“Here we are, less than one month after the locked door incident at a Detroit gas station on West McNichols -- this simply cannot continue to happen,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. “In this case, the defendant allegedly had a weapon aimed at Mr. McNary’s face while he was in a place of safety on the other side of a locked glass door and pulled the trigger. He had time to premeditate his actions and was not in any immediate danger.”
Detroit police were called to the scene and found McNary lying on the ground. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.
Al-Gaham is charged with first-degree murder and a felony firearm violation.
He was arraigned Thursday morning at 36th District Court and remanded to jail.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. June 22, and a preliminary examination is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. June 29.
