On the evening of March 25, 2022, a burst of gunfire shattered the relative quiet of a parking lot at the Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs, leaving two young men dead, one of whom was 21-year-old Matthew 'Menace' Kennith Westrich. The incident, which also claimed the life of 20-year-old Jeremiah I. Brown, unfolded following an altercation that broke out amidst a large gathering of people in the parking area between Dillard's and Burlington Coat Factory.
The El Paso County Coroner's
Office later officially identified Matthew Westrich and Jeremiah Brown as the two deceased individuals and ruled both of their deaths as homicides. In the immediate aftermath, it was reported that a total of four individuals had been shot during the altercation. The four victims were transported to local hospitals in private vehicles, where Westrich and Brown ultimately succumbed to their injuries. An adult male and an adult female sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting.
Despite the violent nature of the crime and the presence of a large number of people at the scene, information regarding the perpetrators has remained elusive in the public sphere. The Colorado Springs Police Department's Violent Crime Section took charge of the investigation, which was described as active and ongoing in the days following the shooting. Authorities appealed to the public for any information or witnesses to come forward to assist in the investigation. However, subsequent available online sources have not provided any updates regarding arrests being made or any specific suspects being identified in connection with the deaths of Matthew Westrich and Jeremiah Brown.
