Brother of Colorado dorm murders suspect breaks silence: 'Ain't real'
Nicholas Jordan, from Detroit, allegedly killed Samuel Knopp and Celie Rain Montgomery in Knopp's Colorado University dorm
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nicholas Jordan's brother reportedly had a message to police: "Keep looking because you got the wrong guy."
Jordan, a 25-year-old Detroit native and a student at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, allegedly shot and killed his former roommate, Samuel Knopp, 24, and Celie Montgomery, 26, in Knopp's dorm room on Friday.
Since then, he was arrested and appeared in court after being booked on two counts of first-degree murder, but Jordan's brother, Brandon, came to his defense.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He told Fox 2 Detroit that Nick was in school for accounting and always had good grades. "I love you bro. I love you dude. I know you didn’t do it bro," he said.
COLORADO UNIVERSITY DORM MURDER SUSPECT ‘STILL POSES A THREAT,’ PROSECUTION WARNS JUDGE
(FOX 2 Detroit)
Nicholas Jordan, who was accused of killing two people in a shooting in a university dorm, stands next to his lawyer during a court appearance on Feb. 20, 2024.
Brandon and Nicholas lost their younger brother, Christian, to an unsolved murder in Detroit more than a year ago, according to the local news outlet.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The loss appeared to have hit Nicholas hard, as his social media included several RIP posts in honor of his late brother.
Brandon described the thought of Nicholas killing two people as unbelievable, according to Fox 2 Detroit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's not real. It ain't real," he said.
But prosecutors painted a different picture during Tuesday afternoon's court appearance, when the judge sided with the prosecution's arguments and raised Nicholas' bail from $1 million to $5 million in cash.
Nicholas Jordan is accused of killing his former college roommate. (nick t jordan/facebook)
"He (Nicholas Jordan) still poses a threat to witnesses and some of the other folks at UCCS campus, as well as the public in general," the prosecution told the judge during Tuesday's court appearance in El Paso County, Colorado.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The prosecutor went on to say arresting officers allegedly found a gun in his car and said, "There were indications he tried to flee the state."
WHO IS NICHOLAS JORDAN? SUSPECTED COLORADO DORM KILLER ‘KNEW VICTIMS’: POLICE
Other than the little bit of information law enforcement and the district attorney's office said in statements on social media and in court, not much is known about Feb. 16's fatal altercation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The court sealed records, including the arrest warrant and probable cause affidavit, without an explanation. Fox News Digital requested the records after Nicholas' arrest, but was denied because of the court-ordered seal.
That will be addressed during the next court appearance, which is scheduled for Friday morning.
Sam Knopp was a "beloved" 24-year-old senior and musician at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs when he was fatally shot on Feb. 16, 2024. (UCCS Music Program/YouTube)
The defense told the judge they're at a disadvantage right off the bat without being able to see the documents.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On top of that, Colorado is in the midst of a crisis, where there aren't enough defense lawyers and public defenders in the state, which warranted the attention of the federal government.
COLORADO DORM MURDERS SUSPECT WAS STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL SAYS
Elisa Overall, executive direction of the Colorado Access to Justice Commission, said 45% of the state's counties have 10 or less attorneys, according to an October report by cpr.org.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"That's certainly considered a legal desert," Overall said.
"Legal desert" is defined by the American Bar Association as a county with fewer than one lawyer per 1,000 people, according to Legal Evoluation, an online publication focused on the legal industry.
Celie Montgomery, 26, was fatally shot in a shooting at Colorado University at Colorado Springs on Feb. 16, 2024. (Celie Montgomery/Facebook)
Nicholas' public defender, Nick Rodgers, briefly alluded to this issue in court Tuesday, as he scrambled to defend his client in a highly publicized case.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He said he filed five motions in court Tuesday, but didn't elaborate further.
The suspected killer was returned to El Paso County Jail on an increased cash bond after the court appearance. He didn't enter a plea yet.
LISTEN TO AUDIO DISPATCH AFTER SHOTS FIRED
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What we do know
Gunshots rang out around 6 a.m. local time on Friday in an upperclassman dorm called the Alpine Village Apartments in Colorado Springs.
Responding officers found Knopp and Montgomery dead inside the dorm room, which triggered an hours-long campus lockdown, as law enforcement searched for a potential active shooter.
Dispatch audio obtained by Fox News Digital revealed first responders were unsure how stable the scene was, or if a gunman was still roaming around campus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The investigation linked Nicholas to the crime, and police secured a warrant for his arrest by Friday night. Detectives searched for him over the weekend, but his name wasn't publicly released until Monday evening.
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He remained on the loose for most of the day Monday, and police remained tight-lipped about the shooting but reiterated it was an "isolated event."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Shortly before 8 a.m. Monday, Colorado Springs Police Department’s Motor Vehicle Theft Unit spotted Jordan, police said on X (formerly Twitter), and a tactical team arrested him about 30 minutes later.