UPDATE: Arraignment set for alleged UCCS shooter

UPDATE: TUESDAY 9/3/2024 7:15 p.m.

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A judge has scheduled an arraignment for Friday, Oct. 25 for Nicholas Jordan, the suspect arrested in connection to a double homicide at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), after he appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

During the preliminary hearing, the prosecution called multiple witnesses from the UCCS Police Department and the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) to testify about the Feb. 16 shooting.

Below is a summary of the proceedings:

UCCS PD

The first witness was UCCS Police Officer D’Mellow, one of the first responders to the Crestone House dormitory after a shots-fired call came in around 6 a.m. D’Mellow testified that after accessing the apartment, he checked rooms A and B, while other officers checked rooms C and D. In room A, he found the body of a young man, later identified as Samuel Knopp, on the floor, and the body of a young woman, Celie Montgomery, on a bed. Both had apparent gunshot wounds to the abdomen.

In unit B, Samual Knopp’s roommate, who had made the call to the police, was found uninjured and was escorted out. Units C and D were locked and there were no belongings found in either room. UCCS Police contacted CSPD, who took over the investigation.

During cross-examination, the defense noted that D’Mellow didn’t witness the incident or see Jordan at the scene and asked how the dorm rooms were accessed. D’Mellow explained that the building’s outer doors could be opened with either a keycard or a phone app, the apartment door required a key, and the inner rooms were also accessed with the same key, though keys for one unit wouldn’t work on another.

CSPD Homicide Detective

The next witness was CSPD Homicide Detective Kerr, who interviewed the roommate. According to Kerr, the roommate apparently said Jordan moved into the dormitory later in the semester and immediately began causing disruptions by playing loud music early in the mornings and constantly smoking marijuana.

The roommate tried to mediate several times, but tensions boiled over in January when Jordan allegedly refused to take out the excessive trash that had accumulated in the apartment.

Kerr testified, that according to the roommate, Jordan and Knopp began calling each other names, and at one point, Knopp said he would call the police. Jordan allegedly responded that there would be consequences and then said, “I’ll kill you.”

According to Kerr, on the morning of the incident, the roommate reported being woken by loud banging, hearing seven to nine shots, a woman’s cry, and what sounded like Knopp groaning. He then heard footsteps running from the room and a door shut. The roommate tried to call Knopp, but when he received no answer, he called the police.

The defense objected to Kerr’s entire testimony, calling it hearsay since it was a secondhand account of the roommate’s statements. The judge overruled the objection, noting that evidence rules are less strict in a preliminary hearing than in a trial. During cross-examination, the defense noted that the roommate was the one who most often confronted Jordan about the disputes, yet Jordan had complied and not threatened him.

CSPD Violent Crimes Detective

CSPD Detective Crofoot of the Violent Crimes Unit next took the stand and testified that there had been no evidence of forced entry to the dorm or any of the individual rooms. Detectives found 11 spent cartridge cases scattered around unit A. One projectile was recovered from the floor of the room. Autopsies revealed Knopp had eight gunshot wounds, and Montgomery four, noting that one bullet may have caused multiple wounds.

According to Crofoot, key card records for the exterior doors showed two entries during the relevant time, both allegedly linked to Jordan’s account. No other entries were logged during the time of the incident. A nearby exterior camera captured footage of a person in dark clothing walking toward the entrance around the same time, and then running away a little later.

Crofoot testified that when Jordan was identified as a suspect and arrested, he appeared surprised and said he knew nothing about a shooting on campus. Jordan claimed he was out of town during the incident, though he was unclear if he was in Denver or Pueblo. When confronted with key card evidence, Jordan said he had stopped by to use the bathroom. He also claimed he had moved out of the dorms before the second semester began and was living out of his car.

A search of Jordan’s car revealed two firearms, one of which matched the caliber of the casings found at the scene, according to Crofoot. Later, testing showed that the spent casings were consistent with those fired from the handgun found in Jordan’s car. Fingerprints on the gun and the empty magazine also allegedly matched Jordan’s.

During cross-examination, the defense asked if anyone had come forward saying they saw Jordan on campus or in the dorm, and Crofoot said no one had. When asked if detectives could determine anything more from the exterior camera footage beyond that the subject was wearing dark clothing, Crofoot said the darkness and distance made it impossible.

The defense also inquired whether it was possible to use someone else’s credentials to enter the building via the app or key card. Crofoot acknowledged it was possible, as there was no definitive identification, such as a fingerprint or face scanner. No one heard any conversation, argument, or names being called out before the shots were fired. Furthermore, Jordan allegedly did not try to evade arrest but showed up to his job site for work as normal when arrested.

El Paso County Jail Assault

The final witness was El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Smith, who investigated the alleged assault at the El Paso County Jail. Smith testified that cameras recorded Jordan punching a deputy as the deputy opened Jordan’s cell, leading to an altercation as the deputy subdued Jordan. The defense claimed Jordan had complained about excessive fecal matter on the toilet spread by his cellmate, and that the deputy had ignored his request to clean it.

After the last witness, the defense argued that there was not enough evidence to show that Jordan had reason to shoot Knopp or Montgomery, with whom he had no connection, and that no one had witnessed Jordan in the area at the time. However, the judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence to move forward with the arraignment.

ORIGINAL STORY: Preliminary hearing to be held Tuesday for UCCS shooting suspect

TUESDAY 9/3/2024 11:04 a.m.

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, Nicholas Jordan, the suspect arrested in connection to a double homicide at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m.

Jordan is accused of killing Samuel Knopp and Celie Montgomery in a dorm on the UCCS campus on Feb. 16, 2024. According to the arrest affidavit, Jordan and Knopp were roommates, and Jordan had allegedly threatened Knopp in the past.

Jordan was arrested on Feb. 19 and has had multiple hearings over the past few months to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. On Aug. 2, the judge ruled that the defense had not met the burden of proof to demonstrate that he had a disability that would impede his understanding of a trial and his ability to communicate and aid his defense.

According to the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices , a preliminary hearing is a mini-trial where the prosecutor presents evidence to justify charging the defendant. Witnesses testify, and evidence is introduced, including some that may not be allowed in a jury trial. If the judge finds probable cause, a trial is scheduled; if not, the charges are dismissed.

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