Affidavit reveals suspect, motive in Colorado Springs courthouse shooting
The Colorado Springs man suspected of killing a man outside the El Paso County courthouse on Thursday told detectives he did so because he’d previously been assaulted by the victim, according to court documents.
Colorado Springs police arrested Shaquille Laneil Brown, 29, on Thursday morning after he allegedly shot and killed a 28-year-old man, whose name is redacted from the arrest affidavit.
The affidavit details that Brown allegedly shot and killed the 28-year-old man while he was carrying a baby and was attempting to enter the courthouse.
The El Paso County Coroner’s Office is conducting the autopsy. The coroner’s office has not made the public identification of the victims identification as of Friday morning.
Brown was arrested immediately after killing the unidentified victim, and according to an affidavit for Brown’s arrest obtained by The Gazette, in his interview with police he attempted to tell law enforcement he shot the man out of fear for his life.
Brown alleged within the affidavit that he shot and killed the man because, earlier this year, the victim assaulted Brown at a bar in downtown Colorado Springs, and the injuries received by Brown because of the assault were so bad that he needed surgery. Brown went on to describe to detectives that the victim would reach out to him on social media threatening him, and that at a previous court hearing, the man threatened to kill him.
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When asked by detectives why Brown had a gun — something he was not allowed to have due to his status as a previous weapons offender in the state of Colorado — he said he got one from “a friend” that he knows “from the streets” because he was scared.
Detectives also asked why Brown was at the courthouse on Thursday morning, and Brown claimed he was there appearing as a victim in the assault case against him, according to the affidavit. The affidavit states that Brown did not know which judge’s courtroom he was going to when asked by detectives.
The affidavit states that police asked to see Brown’s phone to review the alleged threats made by the victim, but Brown claimed he had lost his phone one week before the shooting and did not know where it was.
Brown stated that on Thursday morning he was waiting outside for his hearing when he saw the victim. Brown told detectives that he felt “fear and pressure,” and that he “would not allow” the victim to harm him again, and that is why he shot him, according to the affidavit.
“Mr. Brown reiterated he had ‘blacked out,’ and felt he was not in control of his own actions,” the affidavit states.
The affidavit states that detectives reviewed security camera footage of the incident which showed Brown sitting outside the courthouse when at approximately 10 a.m. he is observed “walking quickly” toward the victim before shooting him numerous times in the chest and head.
Detectives wrote in the affidavit that in the video the victim is seen dropping an infant car seat, occupied by a 1-year-old, as he is shot.
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The affidavit states that eight shell casings were recovered on scene and that the victim sustained at least six gunshot wounds, two to the head and four to the body.
A witness of the shooting interviewed by detectives claimed she saw Brown shoot the victim, yell “I told you I was going to get you,” and then proceed to fire more gunshots at the victim as he was lying on the ground, according to the affidavit. A second witness interviewed by police stated that they saw Brown sitting outside the courthouse for approximately 20 minutes before the shooting.
Brown was arrested on suspicion of three charges, first-degree murder, child abuse and weapon possession by a previous offender, he is currently in the El Paso County jail on a $1 million bond. Brown is scheduled to make his first appearance on Nov. 27.
Court records detail that Brown has numerous previous criminal convictions in El Paso County dating as far back as 2014 on charges such as theft, weapon possession, menacing and more. Brown most recently pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor menacing in 2023 and was given a one-year deferred sentence.
