Police say store surveillance contradicts key parts of the murder suspect’s claim that he fired while defending himself.

EL PASO, Texas — A late-night disagreement over where a woman parked outside a Walgreens ended in a fatal shooting after another motorist followed her family into the store, confronted her adult son and fired three times during a struggle, according to El Paso police and accounts of a criminal complaint.

Nicholas Wells, 26, is charged with murder in the death of 32-year-old Christopher Brandon Steven. Wells told investigators that Steven attacked him and that he drew a handgun to calm the confrontation before firing because Steven continued to advance, according to reports describing the complaint. Detectives said surveillance video presented a different sequence. They alleged that Wells followed the family through the store, spoke aggressively, threw the first punch and fired twice more after Steven fell to the floor. Wells has not been convicted, and the allegations against him remain subject to review in court.

The encounter began shortly before 11:34 p.m. July 2 at the Walgreens at 2800 N. Mesa St., near the University of Texas at El Paso. Wells told police that he was working as an Uber driver and had stopped at the store to buy water and deodorant. Steven arrived with his mother and sister. Police said Steven’s mother initially pulled into an accessible parking space beside Wells’ vehicle. Wells allegedly objected to how close she had parked and questioned why the family had chosen that space. She then backed out and moved her vehicle to another part of the lot.

Wells later described the family’s arrival as threatening, according to the complaint accounts. He allegedly said their vehicle had been moving erratically and had nearly struck his Jeep. He also claimed that Steven and the two women got out and berated him. Investigators who reviewed the store’s exterior video said the images did not support those statements. The family’s vehicle did not appear to be moving at a high rate of speed, police said, and Wells’ vehicle did not appear to be in danger of being hit. Detectives also said the family members were not seen confronting Wells in the parking lot as he had described.

Instead of allowing the separation in the parking lot to end the dispute, Wells allegedly walked behind Steven, his mother and his sister as they entered the Walgreens. Surveillance footage showed him remaining close to the group and addressing Steven in what police characterized as an aggressive manner. Steven eventually turned toward Wells and chest-bumped him, according to the complaint. Police allege that Wells responded by punching Steven in the face, causing the confrontation to become a physical fight inside the store.

The two men struggled after the punch, and Wells drew a handgun, investigators said. At one point, he allegedly pointed the weapon toward the ceiling as both men fought for control of it. The complaint accounts say Wells placed an arm around Steven’s neck and later aimed the gun toward Steven’s head. Steven was first struck by a gunshot to the abdomen and collapsed. Investigators allege that Wells then fired two more times while Steven was on the floor. The police department’s public statement said Steven was shot three times and suffered multiple wounds.

Wells contended that he produced and racked the firearm in an effort to “de-escalate” the encounter, according to local reports citing the complaint. He said Steven continued to attack or approach him, leading him to fire. Detectives said the video undermined that explanation because Steven appeared to be down and unable to defend himself when the final shots were fired. The distinction is central to the case: Wells described an ongoing threat, while police allege the recording showed additional gunfire after that immediate threat had ended.

After leaving the store, Wells called 911 and reported that he had been attacked and had shot someone, police said. Officers responding to multiple emergency calls found him near the front entrance and took him into custody. Investigators recovered a Glock .40-caliber handgun from the hood of his vehicle and found a second, revolver-style firearm on him, according to reports describing the complaint. The El Paso Police Department said Wells admitted to the shooting when officers arrived and was in possession of two firearms.

Police found Steven inside with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency crews took him to University Medical Center, where he later died. A reported autopsy finding classified his death as a homicide and documented three suspected gunshot wounds to his abdomen. “Homicide” is a medical classification indicating death caused by another person; it does not by itself decide whether a criminal offense occurred. That determination will be made through the criminal court process.

While detained in the back of a patrol vehicle, Wells allegedly made several cellphone calls that were recorded. During those calls, police said, he claimed Steven had assaulted him without reason and said he had to “put three in him.” Investigators included the calls among the evidence reviewed after the shooting. The words attributed to Wells do not establish guilt on their own, but prosecutors may seek to use them with the surveillance footage, physical evidence, witness accounts and his statements to detectives.

Police arrested Wells on one count of murder and booked him into the El Paso County detention system. An early local report listed a $350,000 bond. A later report citing court records said a judge denied bond at a subsequent hearing. Public reporting had not identified a trial date. The available reports also did not identify an attorney speaking on Wells’ behalf, and no defense response to the police interpretation of the surveillance video was included in the reviewed material.

Uber said it removed Wells’ access to its driver application after learning of the case. The company said drivers and couriers must undergo background checks before using the platform and are screened again each year. It also said serious pending charges, including murder, can disqualify a driver indefinitely. Police have not alleged that Wells was transporting a passenger at the time. Reports say he described himself as working as an Uber driver when he stopped at Walgreens for personal items.

The police department identified Steven’s death as El Paso’s eighth murder of 2026, compared with 15 at the same point in 2025. That comparison provides citywide context but does not affect the evidence against Wells. The prosecution will have to prove every element of the murder charge beyond a reasonable doubt. The defense may challenge the interpretation of the recording, the reliability of witness statements, the sequence of force or other parts of the state’s case.

Wells remained in custody as the case moved through court. The complaint, police statement and news reports describe probable-cause allegations rather than findings by a jury. No trial date had been publicly reported, and authorities had not announced any additional charges. The surveillance recording, which police say captured the parking-lot arrival and much of the confrontation inside, is expected to remain a central piece of evidence as the court weighs the competing accounts.

Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.