As police in Texas investigated who murdered a Marine veteran in a Houston mall parking garage, a man allegedly posted a TikTok video of himself dancing to rap music while news clips about the shooting played in the background.
Justin Joshua Guzman, 22, a TikTok user, is now one of two men charged with murder in the slaying. Police have obtained the TikTok video from the victim’s mother, according to local NBC affiliate KPRC.
Guzman and 23-year-old Marko Cinan are accused of murder in the death of Anthony Sanders, a 30-year-old Marine veteran, on June 3 in the Galleria Mall parking garage in Houston. The shooting took place in front of Sanders’ fiancee and their toddler son, according to cops.
“We’re here today because we simply want justice for our son,” Sanders’ mother, Ronyel Sanders, told the station. “Anthony died protecting his son and his fiancee. “That is what he does.”
The victim’s mother discovered the TikTok video of Guzman dancing to the news clips and reported it to police. It appears to have been taken down. Guzman has approximately 50,000 TikTok followers. Several of the videos, some of which star Cinan, show Guzman lip-syncing to rap songs. One of the songs Guzman and Cinan lip sync to is “Graffiti” by rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, which contains the line “I got locked in that cell and they ain’t let me out.”
Some TikTok users noticed the irony.
“This didn’t age well,” one user remarked.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, police were dispatched to the mall around 5 p.m. on the day in question after receiving reports of a shooting.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, Sanders’ fiancee informed detectives that he was picking her up from work the night of the shooting. As she was leaving the mall, the fiancee got into a lift with a group of men, including the defendants, whom she didn’t know. The fiancee claimed the men asked her a question that she ignored. One of the men then allegedly called her a “stupid, ugly b—.” The men exited the lift, and the fiancee disembarked on a different floor to meet Sanders.
According to the affidavit, the fiancee told Sanders what had happened, and Sanders then drove around the parking garage with their child in the car to find the men. He noticed the men and drove up to them. Sanders and the defendants exchanged words before returning to their cars. While exiting the parking garage, the suspects were reportedly passengers in a Chrysler 300 in front of Sanders when the driver “brake-checked” the victim. According to police, the suspects and Sanders then got out of their cars.
Guzman allegedly tapped his bag and stated, “You don’t want to mess with me.” According to the affidavit, Guzman and Cinan then pulled out their guns and began shooting Sanders. The suspects allegedly fired at least 14 rounds.
After the shooting, cops from the mall converged on the scene. They noticed Sanders’ fiancee screaming for help. Paramedics rushed Sanders to the hospital, where he was declared dead. His fiancee and son were not injured in the shooting.
Guzman and Cinan sped away but were apprehended shortly afterwards. When Guzman got out of the car, at least two spent cartridges fell off his lap, police said. According to police, the suspects continued to fire as they drove away, leaving bullet holes in the Chrysler.
Police initially released the defendants, according to a press release.
When detectives questioned Guzman and Cinan, they allegedly claimed the shooting was in self-defence. According to the affidavit, Guzman informed detectives that they were leaving the mall when Sanders appeared “on their tail.” He stated that they pulled over and got out of their car to wave Sanders past. However, Guzman claimed that Sanders began threatening them, saying “I’ll f— y’all up,” “Ya’ll are p—ies,” and “I’ll do it to y’all right here.” The defendant claimed Sanders had a gun and a knife on him, but investigators found no weapons on the victim, according to the affidavit.
The victim’s parents, both veterans, spoke to local CBS affiliate KHOU.
“We’re here for justice, justice for Anthony and also to stand for what he stood for as a person, and also to bring awareness to what’s going on in today’s society here in Houston,” said Frank Sanders, his father’s name. “This was uncalled for.”
Sanders’ GoFundMe page described him as a “devoted father.”
Cinan was arrested on June 25, and Guzman turned himself in on Monday. Cinan’s bond is $1 million, while Guzman’s bond is $750,000.
