A former Team USA synchronized figure skater turned coach was shot and killed in broad daylight during an alleged armed robbery at a Starbucks drive-thru in St. Louis, Missouri.
Gabrielle “Sam” Linehan, 28, was sitting in her car in the city’s Tower Grove East neighborhood just after 10 a.m. Tuesday, when a suspect approached and opened fire, according to a probable cause statement obtained by the New York Post.
Police identified the suspect as 58-year-old Keith Lamon Brown, FOX 2 reported.
Surveillance footage released by the St. Louis Police Department showed Brown wearing a high-visibility vest and helmet around the time of the shooting.
Authorities allege Brown stole several of Linehan’s bank cards and her driver’s license before fleeing the scene. Linehan was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the Post reported.
Linehan represented U.S. Figure Skating as a member of St. Louis Synergy’s junior team, which earned a silver medal at the 2014 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, according to KSDK.
Linehan’s team later paid tribute to the beloved athlete and coach at the Metro Edge Skating Club in an emotional Instagram post, calling her “a cherished skater, coach, mentor, and friend” whose impact stretched far beyond the rink.
“A dedicated leader, Coach Sam devoted time and heart to supporting and developing skaters while instilling the values of discipline, teamwork, integrity, and resilience,” the team wrote.
Authorities announced Wednesday that Brown had been arrested.
“Intelligence detectives have taken a 58-year-old man into custody in connection to the homicide on S. Grand,” the St. Louis Police Department posted on X. “He was armed when he was arrested. SWAT executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home. Homicide detectives located evidence from two prior robberies as well.”
According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Brown has been charged with first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
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He is being held without bond at the St. Louis City Justice Center.
Authorities said Brown was also wanted in connection with two other armed robberies in the days leading up to the killing.
His criminal history dates back to the mid-1980s, FOX 2 reported.
The St. Louis Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
