UPDATE: Oct 30 at 4:40 p.m.
SPOKANE, Wash. – The second suspect involved in the deadly shooting near Gonzaga University made his first court appearance Friday.
Marius Velasquez is accused, along with Zachary McGriff, of shooting and killing Shawn Cranford. McGriff appeared in court on Oct. 24.
Thurston County deputies arrested Velasquez on Monday night at a Mobil gas station in Lacey.
The arrests stem from an Oct. 17 incident in which McGriff and Velasquez allegedly got into an altercation with Cranford over the title to a car Cranford reportedly sold to them.
Police said the confrontation escalated, leading to Cranford’s death.
Velasquez has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery and is being held on a $1.5 million bond.
His arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 11.
UPDATE: October 30 at 10:30 p.m.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has released new video footage showing the arrest of Marius Velasquez, a suspect in a shooting that occurred near Gonzaga University earlier this month.
Deputies apprehended Velasquez on Monday night at a mobile gas station in Lacey.
The arrest followed a tense situation where they trapped his car. Velasquez attempted to flee from officers.
During the chase, he pulled a gun from his waistband, tossed it on the ground, and continued running.
He eventually surrendered after deputies warned him that a canine would be deployed.
UPDATE: October 28, 2025 at 2:49 p.m.
A second arrest has been made in connection to the fatal shooting that took place near Gonzaga University on October 17.
According to a press release from the Spokane Police Department, a 19-year-old was arrested in Olympia on Monday night on a warrant for murder connected to the shooting.
33-year-old Zachary McGriff has also been charged.
Anyone who may have video footage of the incident is asked to contact Crime Check at 509 456-2233.
SPOKANE, Wash. — The man accused of last Friday made his first court appearance.
According to court documents from Spokane County Superior Court, officers responded to reports of gunshots around 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 in the area of East Mission Avenue and North Cincinnati Street near .
Investigators said the victim, , had been pistol-whipped and shot. When officers arrived, they found Cranford in a yard on East Sinto Avenue. He was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he died a few hours later.
Court docs said that Cranford, another person and the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Zachary McGriff, were arguing over the title of a car. Witnesses told police that Cranford had purchased the car at an auction and later sold it to McGriff. The two reportedly began arguing over the paperwork, with McGriff claiming he was given the registration instead of the title.
The argument escalated and one of the men allegedly struck Cranford with a pistol before tackling him to the ground. Cranford was then shot and killed, according to police.
Police said that McGriff and another suspect fled the scene but were later arrested. It is unclear when police took them into custody, but McGriff was booked into the Spokane County Jail on Tuesday.
McGriff was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. His bond was set at $1.5 million.
ORIGINAL: OCTOBER 24 AT 3:20 P.M.
