Caitlynn Coffman, (11), and Addison Quinley, (9), are ice figure skaters who are coming to terms with the sudden and tragic loss of their coach.
On Feb. 10, Coach Gabrielle “Sam” Linehan, 28, was shot and killed in a Starbucks drive thru. Keith Lamon Brown, 58, was taken into police custody on Feb. 11 after discovering evidence that linked him to the crime. Brown has been charged with first-degree murder and eight other felonies following a recent crime spree in Tower Grove, St. Louis.
Brown’s criminal history dates back to 1986, when he was charged with five felonies related to robbery and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Police say Brown also allegedly robbed a woman and her daughter at gunpoint in a Jack in the Box parking lot on Feb. 6, two days before allegedly robbing a Dollar General store.
The Metro Edge Figure Skating Club (MEFSC) identified Coach Linehan as the victim in the fatal shooting. A former competitive figure skater for team USA, Linehan most recently served as a coach for the St. Louis Synergy junior team at MEFSC. Several members of the team are students at Eureka High School (EHS).
Coffman, a veteran skater at MEFSC for eight years, studied under Linehan.
“She was just an amazing person, genuinely a one of a kind human being and someone I think we need more of in the world,” Coffman said. “[She] accepted everybody for who they were and loved everybody no matter what because she just wanted to see everybody succeed.”
The athletes that trained under Linehan are grieving as they process the loss of their coach.
“It’s the people like Sam that transform skating from a demanding competitive grind into a true community. Because of people like Sam, skating is more than just a sport but a family,” Quinley said.
