#Update Joseph Michael Gray was booked in the Spokane County Jail on Jan. 19
Warrant Issued for 1st Degree Murder & 1st Degree Robbery
Suspect, Joseph M. Gray Sought – Considered Armed & Dangerous
Through their investigation, Spokane Valley Major Crimes Detectives have identified the male and female suspects involved in this incident where the victim, 35-year-old Christopher Smith, was shot and killed.
Detectives are attempting to locate the male suspect, 28-year-old Joseph “Joe” M. Gray. ** Gray should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. **
If you know of Joseph “Joe” M. Gray’s location, please call 9-1-1.
If you have information regarding this investigation or Gray’s recent activities, you are asked to call Major Crimes Detective Marc Melville at 509-477-3325 or Major Crimes Detective Nate Bohanek at 509-477-3223.
Spokane Valley Deputies, responding to an argument/assault call at the Adams Square Apartments, 225 S. Adams Rd, last night, with the assistance of the SWAT Team and Major Crimes Detectives, located the female suspect involved in the shooting on Park Road, 30-year-old Krystal M. Johnson.
Johnson was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Murder 1st Degree and Robbery 1st Degree.
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Press Release sent December 31, 2020:
Altercation on Park Road Escalates into a Shooting
Major Crimes Detectives Seek Witnesses and Answers
Spokane Valley Major Crimes Detectives are investigating an early morning shooting on S. Park Road. The limited information gained at the scene indicates the incident began as an argument/altercation between two adult males and an adult female. At some point during the incident, as the three ran through the neighborhood yelling and banging on doors, one of the males pulled a handgun and shot the other male. The victim was transported to the hospital with a life-threatening wound. He later died from his injury.
A K9 Unit, Air 1 Flight Crew, and Patrol Deputies flooded the area to conduct an extensive search but did not locate the suspect or the female.
Anyone with information regarding this incident or can help Investigators identify the persons involved is urged to call Crime Check at 509-456-2233, reference #10170950.
On December 31, 2020, at approximately 7:20 am., Spokane Valley Deputies responded to a call of a possible shooting in the 600 block of S. Park Road in Spokane Valley.
Arriving Deputies located one male who was suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound and immediately provided medical aid. Spokane Valley Fire and AMR personnel arrived, took over the victim’s care, and quickly transported him to the hospital.
Deputies quickly established a perimeter, and a K9 Unit, Air 1, and Major Crimes Detectives were called out to assist.
The initial and very limited information obtained from witnesses and residents in the area indicates the two males and a female, all three believed to be adults, were involved in some sort of altercation. Witnesses stated the males were banging on doors in the area, and yelling was heard.
In the 600 block of S. Park, the incident escalated, when according to reports, one male and the female ran from the scene after he produced a handgun and shot the second male. At this time, it is not known if the three knew each other or what precipitated the argument or shooting.
Later, Investigators were informed the victim, described as an adult black male, was later pronounced deceased despite the life-saving efforts of Deputies, Firefighters, AMR Staff, and Medical Professionals at the hospital.
The adult male suspect was described as white. According to witness statements, his height was estimated to be 5’08”-5’11”. The female was described as an adult and white.
The information obtained regarding this incident is minimal at this point. Detectives are requesting anyone with video surveillance cameras in the area to please review their recordings, from an hour prior to the shooting to an hour after, for anything suspicious or video of the people involved.
Anyone with information regarding this deadly incident, what occurred prior to it, or anything that could help identify the people involved is urged to call Crime Check at 509-456-2233, reference #10170950.
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Corporal Mark Gregory
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
Spokane Valley Police Department
Public Information Officer