Victim in New Year's Eve road rage incident found murdered

YPSILANTI, Mich. -

A victim in a road rage incident that happened New Year's Eve in Detroit was murdered Tuesday night in Ypsilanti.

Brandon Wesley Charles, 28, of Ypsilanti, was shot to death in a car that was parked in a driveway in the 600 block of Calder Avenue. Charles was at the home, visiting his best friend when he was shot and killed around 10 p.m.

A witness said Charles had recently been talking about having some sort of problem with someone stemming from an incident that happened on New Year's Eve.

Ypsilanti crime scene

--The scene Tuesday night where Wesley Charles was found shot to death in Ypsilanti

--30-year-old Willie Lee Wimberly (left) and 33-year-old Steve Deshaun Smith-Rush (right)

Local 4 has learned Charles was scheduled to testify in a preliminary exam Wednesday morning in the case of 30-year-old Willie Lee Wimberly of Trenton and 33-year-old Steve Deshaun Smith-Rush of Inkster.

They face charges in connection with the road rage shooting that occurred on New Year’s Day as the victims were leaving the MGM Casino. Police believe a third person may have been involved.

About the road rage incident

The shooting took place on westbound I94 near Junction in the City of Detroit at approximately 3:10 a.m. Jan. 31.

Police interviews revealed that Charles and his female passenger had left the MGM Casino in Detroit when they became involved in a traffic incident with another vehicle.

Charles and his passenger kept driving when they said they saw the suspect's vehicle following them on the Lodge freeway and then onto I-94. On I-94, near Junction, the suspect opened fire on the vehicle striking both Charles and the passenger several times. Charles was hurt; his passenger was shot nine times but did survive.