In the late summer of 2021, a dispute that tragically escalated cut short the life of Kevin Eugene Patterson, a 62-year-old Black man who had made Colorado Springs his home for over a quarter of a century. On the afternoon of September 9th, law enforcement responded to a shooting incident near the Citadel Mall, where they discovered Patterson and another man, James Love, suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds.
Both men were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Kevin Patterson's injuries proved to be too severe, and he succumbed to them two days later on September 11, 2021. The El Paso County Coroner's Office later officially identified him and James Love as the victims of the shooting. Patterson, a U.S. Army veteran, was a beloved family man and a respected member of his community, known for his enjoyment of fishing and working on cars.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led authorities to identify a suspect: 43-year-old Lamar Frederick Taylor. It was revealed that Taylor had a business relationship with both Patterson and Love through the Elks Lodge situated across from the mall. Taylor had been renting the kitchen at the lodge for his restaurant, but the arrangement had reportedly become strained. A meeting between the three men on the day of the shooting is said to have gone 'drastically wrong,' leading to the fatal altercation. Following the incident, law enforcement began a search for Taylor, who was now wanted in connection with the deaths of the two men.
