Gabrielle "Sam" Linehan, 28, was fatally shot and killed on Tuesday, Feb. 10
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NEED TO KNOW
- Gabrielle “Sam” Linehan has been identified as the 28-year-old victim in the Starbucks drive-thru shooting on Tuesday, Feb. 10
- Linehan was a former figure skating champ who worked as a coach at Metro Edge Figure Skating Club
- The shooter, Keith Brow, was arrested and 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 connected to Linehan’s death three other robberies
A figure skating coach was shot and killed in a Starbucks drive-thru on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Gabrielle "Sam" Linehan was at the Starbucks drive-thru located at 2030 South Grand Blvd. in St. Louis at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday when she was fatally shot, NBC News reports, citing police. The shooter then allegedly stole her bank cards and driver's license in what appeared to be a robbery, the outlet reports, citing police.
PEOPLE has reached out to Starbucks for comment.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department identified the suspect as Keith Brown, who was arrested and taken into custody on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Brown, 58, was 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 connected to Linehan's death and three victims of other robberies, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE.
Local court dockets reviewed by PEOPLE indicate that Brow's next court appearance is slated for March 11. A judge ruled on Friday that he will remain in custody, reports KSDK.
SLMPD shared in a statement on social media that a SWAT team "executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home," and that "Homicide detectives located evidence from two prior robberies as well."
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Linehan, 28, was a coach at Metro Edge Figure Skating Club. An official bio on the skating club's website says Linehan "grew up skating on Synergy synchro teams competing at the juvenile, intermediate, and junior levels between 2008-2015 and returned as a member of the 2022 adult team."
Linehan represented Team USA with the St. Louis Synergy from 2013 to 2015 and was a member of the junior team when they won the silver medal at the 2014 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships. In 2023, Sam made her senior-level debut with the Hockettes Elite 12 before returning to Synergy in 2024. She previously earned her Gold medal in Skating Skills, per the bio.
"This loss is both sudden and profoundly heartbreaking for athletes, staff, and the entire skating community," president of Metro Edge Figure Skating Club wrote in a statement to NBC News. "Coach Sam will be deeply missed, forever remembered, and always a part of this community."
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“It’s like losing part of your soul,” Linehan's longtime coach and current figure skating coach, Ramona Peterson, who met Linehan when she was 10 years old, told KSDK. “I feel like I’ve lost somebody who’s part of me and will always be a part of me. And I’m just sad that I don’t get to see her continue to grow, to thrive, to inspire. It’s sad.”
Peterson noted that she became close with Linehan after the late coach lost her mother at a young age.
"This loss is both sudden and profoundly heartbreaking for athletes, staff, and the entire skating community," St. Louis Synergy wrote in a tribute to Linehan. "Focus remains on supporting Sam’s family and ensuring skaters have the care and resources needed during this incredibly difficult time."
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