'That didn't age well': TikTok star accused of gunning down Marine vet danced in video with news reports about slaying playing in background, victim's mother says

As cops in Texas were investigating who murdered a Marine seasoned successful the parking store of a Houston mall, a antheral allegedly posted a video of himself connected TikTok dancing to rap euphony with quality clips astir the shooting playing successful the background.

The TikToker, 22-year-old Justin Joshua Guzman, is present 1 of 2 men facing execution charges successful the slaying. Cops are successful possession of that TikTok video acknowledgment to the victim's mother, section NBC affiliate KPRC reported.

Guzman and 23-year-old  Marko Cinan basal accused of murder successful the June 3 decease of Anthony Sanders, a 30-year-old Marine veteran, who was killed successful the parking store of the Galleria Mall successful Houston. The shooting occurred successful beforehand of Sanders' fiancee and their toddler son, according to cops.

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"We're present contiguous due to the fact that we conscionable privation justness for our son," Sanders' mother, Ronyel Sanders, told the station. "Anthony passed distant protecting his lad and his fiancee. That's what helium does."

The victim's parent came crossed the TikTok video of Guzman dancing to the quality clips and gave it to police. It appears to person since been taken down. Guzman has immoderate 50,000 followers connected TikTok. Several of the videos, immoderate of which diagnostic Cinan, amusement Guzman articulator syncing to rap songs. One of the songs Guzman and Cinan articulator sync to, "Graffiti" by rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, has the lyric "I got locked successful that compartment and they ain't fto maine out."

Some TikTok users noted the irony.

"This didn't property well," 1 idiosyncratic quipped.

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As Law&Crime previously reported, constabulary were archetypal called to respond to reports of a shooting astatine the promenade astir 5 p.m. connected the time successful question.

According to a probable origin apprehension affidavit, Sanders' fiancee told detectives helium was picking her up from enactment the nighttime of the shooting. As she was leaving the mall, the fiancee entered an elevator with a radical of men, including the defendants, whom she did not know. The fiancee stated the men asked her a question, which she ignored. One of the men past allegedly called her a "stupid disfigured b—." The men exited the elevator and the fiancee got disconnected astatine a antithetic level to conscionable Sanders.

The fiancee elaborate what had transpired to Sanders, who past drove astir the parking garage, with their kid besides successful the car, to find the men, the affidavit said. He saw the men and drove up to them. Sanders and the defendants had a verbal speech earlier returning to their respective cars. While exiting the parking garage, the suspects were seemingly passengers successful a Chrysler 300 successful beforehand of Sanders erstwhile the operator "brake-checked" the victim. The suspects and Sanders past got retired of their cars, cops said.

Guzman allegedly tapped his container and said, "you don't privation to messiness with me." That's erstwhile Guzman and Cinan pulled retired guns and started shooting Sanders, according to the affidavit. The suspects allegedly fired astatine slightest 14 times.

After the shooting, cops moving astatine the promenade converged connected the scene. They saw Sanders' fiancee screaming for help. Paramedics rushed Sanders to the hospital, wherever doctors pronounced him dead. His fiancee and their lad were not injured successful the shooting.

Guzman and Cinan sped distant but were apprehended a abbreviated clip later. When Guzman stepped retired of the car, astatine slightest 2 spent cartridges fell disconnected his lap, cops noted. The Chrysler was riddled with slug holes arsenic the suspects kept firing arsenic they were driving away, according to police.

Police initially fto the defendants go, officials said successful a property release.

When detectives aboriginal spoke with Guzman and Cinan, they allegedly claimed the shooting was successful self-defense. According to the affidavit, Guzman told detectives they were leaving the promenade erstwhile Sanders came "on their tail." He said they pulled implicit and got retired of their car to question Sanders past them. But Guzman claimed that Sanders started threatening them, saying "I'll f— y'all up," "Ya'll are p—ies" and "I'll bash it to y'all close here." The suspect told cops Sanders had a weapon and weapon connected him — but investigators recovered nary weapons connected the victim, the affidavit stated.

The victim's parents, veterans themselves, spoke with local CBS affiliate KHOU.

"We're present for justice, justness for Anthony and besides to basal for what helium stood for arsenic a person, and besides to bring consciousness to what's going connected successful today's nine present successful Houston," said his father, Frank Sanders. "This was uncalled for."

A GoFundMe leafage described Sanders arsenic a "devoted father."

Cops arrested Cinan connected June 25 portion Guzman turned himself successful to constabulary connected Monday. Cinan has a $1 cardinal enslaved portion Guzman is being held connected a $750,000 bond.