PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A disagreement boiled over for a Phoenix woman, who punched a nail salon worker and opened fire on the building, according to new court paperwork released Monday.
Investigators said Essence Mire, 26, got into an argument with an employee at Element Nail Bar at 16th Street and Bethany Home Road Sunday afternoon over the $15 cost to repair a broken fingernail.
Mire punched the employee in the face and walked out, police said. She got a gun and fired it once, with the bullet hitting the front glass door and causing it to shatter, court paperwork said.
Investigators said the salon had 18 people inside, with many of them running out the back door or hiding.
Several people recorded what happened on their cellphone cameras.
Mire then drove off from the salon. Police tracked her down to her home near Interstate 17 and Northern Avenue.
Court documents said Mire admitted to punching the worker in the face and shooting at the business in hopes of intimidating the salon into getting her nail fixed for free.
She was booked into jail on one count of aggravated assault, one count of discharging a firearm at a nonresidence, as well as charges of discharging a firearm in city limits and assault. Her bond was set at $100,000.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.