An arrest was made Dec. 13 regarding the Nov. 23 fatal shooting of 16-year-old Colin Brown.
Garrett Jordan, 26, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action in connection with the shooting.
Only Jordan has been formally charged in the investigation as of Friday, though as the investigation continues, St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy anticipates “others will be charged.”
Just months prior to Brown’s shooting, Jordan reportedly had been paroled from federal prison. He was previously imprisoned on numerous charges, including felon in possession of a firearm, drug charges and probation violations.
Last month Brown was struck by Jordan’s stray gunfire on Interstate 55 near Loughborough while riding home from his hockey game. His father, Calvin Brown, was in the car when the shooting occurred, and immediately contacted law enforcement, who met the two at the intersection of Fourth and Walnut in downtown St. Louis. Brown was then rushed to the hospital where he remained in critical condition for four days. He died on Nov. 27.
Following the shooting, the police closed I-55 on the nights of Nov. 23 and 24, recovering evidence – including 20 cartridge casings belonging to a handgun and a rifle – of the shooting.
A witness then allegedly told investigators that a dark Audi vehicle often parked outside of the residence of another vehicle that was struck by gunfire while traveling southbound on I-55 during the shooting. Surveillance videos backed this claim up, showing the dark Audi following the driver from the residence on Minnesota Avenue to I-55 and back. According to charging documents, information was obtained from the Audi’s license plate that linked it to an address owned by one of Jordan’s family members.
This led to investigators obtaining a search warrant to trace Jordan’s historical phone location data. The data showed Jordan’s movements were consistent with the Audi’s movements before, during and after the shooting.
Jordan pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance on Dec. 16.
“It is with great sadness that we mourn the tragic death of Affton Americans and CBC player Colin Brown. Colin was a great player, teammate and friend, as well as a loving brother and son. We are devastated by this tragedy and send our heartfelt sympathies to his family. Affton Hockey has provided grief counseling to Colin’s team and will continue to support his family, teammates and coaches through this tragedy,” a statement from the Affton Americans Hockey organization, Brown’s club hockey team, sent exclusively to The Call read.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude to the hockey communities both locally and from across the country that have honored the memory of Colin Brown,” the statement continued. “Your moments of silence, sticks out and the coat drives you organized are much appreciated. Affton Hockey is working with the Brown family to establish an ongoing tribute to Colin that will keep his spirit alive in our organization and beyond.”
The Affton Americans Hockey organization and CBC, Brown’s high school, have teamed up with DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation St. Louis – a local charity “dedicated to providing opportunities for persons with and without disabilities to gain confidence and independence through participation in national and international amateur ice hockey events and to support local, national and international amateur ice hockey players and their families in times of crisis” – to raise money for the Brown family. For those interested in donating, visit https://www.dawgnationstl.org/colinbrown/.
