A dispute over the title to a car in Spokane’s Logan neighborhood ended in fatal gunfire on the evening of Friday, October 17, 2025. Shawn Cranford, 46, was shot near East Mission Avenue and North Cincinnati at about 7 p.m., taken to a hospital and later died of gunshot wounds to the torso and a lower extremity; the Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Police say the parties knew one another and the argument stemmed from the sale of a white 2010 Mercury Milan that Cranford had sold to Zachery McGriff. Court documents and witnesses describe an argument that began earlier in the day, during which Cranford reportedly tried to de-escalate—giving McGriff $1,000 and arranging for his girlfriend to bring the car title—but the dispute turned physical when McGriff allegedly believed the title was incorrect.

Prosecutors allege McGriff’s 19-year-old nephew, Marius A. Velazquez, shot Cranford. Both McGriff, 34, and Velazquez were arrested; McGriff faces first-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges and is held on $1.5 million bond, and Velazquez faces first-degree murder charges after being apprehended in Olympia. Family members described Cranford as a loving son, uncle, and brother.

If anyone knew Cranford or saw the area that evening, what additional details might help clarify how the confrontation escalated?