A Las Vegas city worker raised fears for his safety with HR months before a coworker allegedly killed him in a hail of gunfire, according to court filings. 

Brysen Kim has pleaded not guilty to murdering Joey McLean, who was shot in the head near 7th Street and Stewart Avenue just after 6am on June 12, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. 

After the shooting, Kim allegedly called police to report the homicide himself, according to KSNV. Detectives later uncovered evidence of a feud between him and McLean dating back to February 12, 2026. 

More than 1,500 pages of city records were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request seeking emails, HR complaints, transfer requests, and other internal documents involving the two, FOX5 reported.

The documents revealed the two employees were once friends, but by February, McLean was urgently requesting a transfer to another work site.

'If I could put this off until next shift bid I would, unfortunately this is urgent. I need the city to be flexible and help,' he wrote in one of his requests obtained by the outlet, without naming Kim.

The city quickly launched an HR investigation after the complaints surfaced. Emails show managers scrambling to understand the escalating conflict between the two, as Kim also filed complaints against McLean.

In multiple written complaints, Kim described repeated confrontations with McLean and said the work environment had become 'very uncomfortable and toxic.' 

Kim accused McLean of repeated harassment, pointing to incidents involving a dump truck tailgate and verbal clashes, leading to McLean being placed on paid administrative leave as the investigation continued. 

The records show city management later concluded it had 'no objection' to McLean returning to work and recommended issuing him a written reprimand, with no further explanation as to why city managers allowed McLean to return to work alongside Kim.

The city's timeline shows the two men continued working side by side, sharing 22 shifts across March, April, and May before the fatal shooting.

While acknowledging the troubled history between the two men, prosecutors argued in court that it did not warrant the deadly attack. 

'This is about a six-month, ongoing argument between Brysen Kim and Joey McLean. There were HR complaints going both ways,' prosecutors said according to KTNV.

The prosecution contended that the evidence does not back Kim’s claim that he was defending himself. 

Following McLean’s death, his family and friends launched a GoFundMe to support them in the wake of the tragedy. 

'On the morning of June 12, 2026, Joey McLean tragically lost his life in a violent incident while at his place of employment with the City of Las Vegas,' the GoFundMe read.

'Joey was a devoted husband, loving stepfather, and hardworking man who cared deeply for his family.'

McLean had just married his wife a little over two months ago, becoming a stepfather to three children. 

'Family meant everything to Joey, and he worked tirelessly to provide love, support, and stability for those he cared about,' the fundraiser added.

Daily Mail reached out to the City and Kim's attorney for comment.