A beloved former Team USA skater was allegedly gunned down in a Missouri Starbucks drive-thru during an armed robbery by a maniac with a long rap sheet who was wanted for two similar shootings days earlier.
Gabrielle “Sam” Linehan, 28, was inside her car at the coffee hotspot in St. Louis’ Tower Grove East neighborhood when Keith Lamon Brown allegedly held her at gunpoint before opening fire just after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a probable cause statement viewed by The Post.
Brown, 58, was caught on surveillance video wearing a high-visibility vest and helmet when he walked up to Linehan’s car, ordering her to raise her hands before shooting the defenseless woman, police said.
Linehan, a skating coach in nearby Webster Groves, was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The St. Louis Synergy, the Metro Edge Skating Club’s synchronized figure skating team, paid tribute to their fallen mentor.
“Coach Sam Linehan was a cherished skater, coach, mentor, and friend whose impact reached far beyond the ice. 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 on Instagram.
“This loss is both sudden and profoundly heartbreaking for athletes, staff, and the entire skating community. Focus remains on supporting Sam’s family and ensuring skaters have the care and resources needed during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement added.
Linehan represented St. Louis Synergy and Team USA, earning silver at the 2014 US Synchronized Skating Championships, according to KSDK.
“She was by far one of the most naturally talented kids I had coached,” longtime coach Ramona Peterson told the outlet. “But beyond that, she was incredibly dedicated.”
Brown allegedly robbed multiple bank cards and a driver’s license from Linehan before fleeing the scene on foot.
He was arrested early Wednesday morning 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, police announced.
Brown was wanted for two armed robberies that took place days before Linehan’s murder — and has a criminal history that dates back to the mid 1980s, Fox 2 Now reported.
On Feb. 6, Brown, wearing the high-visibility vest and helmet, allegedly approached a vehicle at a Jack in the Box drive-thru where he pointed a gun at the driver before stealing the driver’s purse, a 9mm handgun and the phone of the driver’s daughter, according to court records.
Two days later, Brown is allegedly struck again at a Dollar General, demanding money from a cashier.
The gunman fired at least three shots during all three robberies, police said.
During his arrest, officials seized the stolen contents from the first and third robberies as well as the neon vest and helmet and suspected narcotics.
He is being held without bond at the St. Louis City Justice Center.
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