Second murder suspect tied to Gonzaga-area shooting arrested in Olympia

The second murder suspect in a shooting earlier this month near Gonzaga University was arrested Monday night in Olympia, according to the Spokane Police Department.

Marius A. Velazquez, 19, is accused of shooting 46-year-old Shawn Cranford Oct. 17 near Mission Avenue and Cincinnati Street. The shooting stemmed from an argument over a vehicle title, according to court documents.

Zachary C. McGriff, Velazquez’s uncle, faces first-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges, the latter charge a result of McGriff stealing Cranford’s black Mercedes after the shooting, court records say. McGriff, 34, has been in the Spokane County Jail since last week on a $1.5 million bond.

McGriff was originally taken into custody Oct. 21 on a felony warrant for probation violations, a police news release said. Detectives later linked him to the shooting.

Court documents indicate McGriff and Velazquez followed Cranford and his brother the night of Oct. 17 through Spokane, stopping at times to argue about a vehicle title, before Velazquez shot and killed him near a halfway house where Cranford and McGriff stayed.

Shawn Cranford’s brother, LeShawn Trammell, told police Shawn Cranford sold a white 2010 Mercury Milan to McGriff.

Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor George Gross said at McGriff’s first court appearance Friday that McGriff was a “man on a mission” that night.

While Gross said Velazquez shot Cranford, McGriff did not try to dissuade his nephew from violence, and McGriff only escalated the situation as others, like Cranford, tried to resolve the problem.

Jeffrey Cranford, one of Shawn Cranford’s brothers, told the judge Friday his brother was a loving son, uncle and brother.

“He was loved by all his friends and all his family,” he said.

Officers found Shawn Cranford shot in a yard behind 803 E. Sinto Ave. They also located a torn vehicle registration and a fired 9 mm shell casing in the yard. Shawn Cranford was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he died that night, more than two hours after the shooting.

Detectives ask people living in the area to check whether they have surveillance footage of the shooting, which was reported at about 7:10 p.m. Oct. 17. Anyone with video evidence is asked to contact Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 and reference incident No. 2025-20214534.