In the early morning hours of October 12, 2025, the life of 38-year-old Derick Shafer, a White Caucasian male, was tragically cut short in Spokane, Washington. Shafer was ambushed and fatally shot while sitting in his car in the 600 block of South McClellan, near Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. The Spokane County Medical Examiner later confirmed that his death was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds.
Described by his sister as a loving "big teddy bear," Shafer was a father to a sixteen-year-old son.
The investigation into the shooting led Spokane police to identify a suspect through surveillance video and witness testimony. The footage reportedly showed the suspect stalking Shafer before moving into an "ambush position" and opening fire. Investigators learned that Shafer had been at the nearby apartment of his ex-girlfriend hours before the incident. He had reportedly driven to her residence and honked his horn. A man who was at the ex-girlfriend's apartment at the time was later identified as the primary suspect.
On October 17, 2025, just five days after the shooting, police arrested 32-year-old Andre D. Moore. He was found sleeping in the Browne Street viaduct and was taken into custody on suspicion of first-degree murder. Moore, described in court documents as a three-time felon, was also facing a separate unlawful possession of a firearm charge at the time of the homicide. He had been released on his own recognizance twice in the month leading up to Shafer's death. Moore was booked into the Spokane County Jail, with his bail set at $1 million. The investigation is ongoing, with police having also investigated the ex-girlfriend's current boyfriend, though no charges have been filed against him.
