An El Paso County judge ruled the suspect in the November 2023 fatal shooting outside the courthouse in downtown Colorado Springs that left one person dead is competent to proceed to trial on Friday.

Shaquille Brown, 31, faces multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder, for the death of William Winters, 28, on Nov. 16, 2023.

According to past Gazette coverage, Brown told police that he shot and killed Winters because earlier that year, Winters allegedly assaulted Brown at a downtown bar, causing injuries that Brown said required surgery.

Brown’s arrest affidavit includes a mention of a witness who told police they saw Brown shoot Winters and yell, “I told you I was going to get you,” and then proceed to fire more gunshots at the victim as he was lying on the ground. Winters sustained at least six gunshot wounds, according to the affidavit.

Concerns over Brown’s competency have been a major point of contention since the case began. An incompetent ruling in April 2024 stalled the case indefinitely as Brown awaited restoration at the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP).

Friday’s hearing brought Sarah Velsor, a forensic psychologist, to the stand. Velsor testified extensively to her experience evaluating Brown in August and the signs he showed that he was feigning or fabricating his symptoms for benefit, also known clinically as malingering.

According to Velsor, Brown was sent to CMHHIP in late May 2025 to begin the restoration process after the April 2024 ruling, after awaiting a bed opening for over a year.

At the time of his admission, Brown reported having auditory hallucinations and memory impairment from a traumatic brain injury he claimed he sustained in April 2023 from an assault allegedly involving Winters.

Regarding the auditory hallucinations, Brown said he was experiencing voices “constantly,” but was not able to elaborate on what the voices were exactly saying other than to “do things.” Velsor testified that it is “highly unusual” for someone experiencing “voices” to be unable to elaborate, as typically the hallucinations are “hyper-specific.” She said it was likely a sign of malingering.

Velsor additionally testified that Brown had multiple CT scans done after the April 2023 assault, but they showed that nothing penetrated the brain. While Velsor did not refute the seriousness of the injuries, she said she did not see symptoms that aligned with even a minor traumatic brain injury.

Much of the prosecution’s direct examination of Velsor focused on staff notes about Brown from his time in Pueblo, specifically instances where he was overheard saying he needed to “act crazy.”

According to Velsor, Brown allegedly commented shortly after admission into the hospital that he needed to start going “off the walls,” otherwise the court would find him competent, something Velsor said is a sign of malingering.

In June, Brown was allegedly overheard by staff while talking on the phone. He reportedly said, “I might have to start acting up so they think I’m crazy … I ain’t trying to go to prison the rest of my life.”

During Velsor’s assessment of Brown’s progress after restoration, Brown was administered several tests specifically targeted to determine malingering. Each of the tests discussed in court on Friday indicated he was feigning or fabricating his symptoms, Velsor testified.

Velsor’s evaluation found Brown competent to proceed to trial, concluding that his self-reported symptoms were exaggerated or feigned, and there was no evidence found to the contrary.

Velsor did not refute that there was a “genuine” concern regarding his competency at the beginning of the case during cross-examination.

When asked about why her assessment differed from the two done in 2024 that deemed him incompetent, Velsor said Brown presented in a more disorganized pattern back then than he did with her in August. She agreed with one of the evaluators that it could have been substance-induced, but disagreed that it could have stemmed from anything connected to the traumatic brain injury Brown claimed he sustained.

Velsor did agree with the defense that malingering can be a true symptom of individuals with mental health concerns, but maintained it was not the case for Brown. Velsor testified that Brown was initially diagnosed with unspecified schizophrenia, but the diagnosis was later removed by treatment staff and altered to malingering.

Judge Russell Granger, standing in for Judge Jill Brady, who normally presides over the case, ruled Brown to be competent to proceed. The ruling drew a large outburst from Winters’ friends and family, who cheered briefly.

Several, at times emotional, family members sat in the gallery for Friday’s hearing while Brown’s side of the room remained empty.

There were several instances, especially during cross-examination, when frustrated chatter between friends and family members of Winters prompted Granger to ask for silence from the gallery. Previous Gazette reporting details a history of tension in the courtroom for Brown’s hearings.

Brown appeared in custody for Friday’s hearing, seated next to his defense counsel. As of Friday, he remains in El Paso County jail on a $1 million bond, inmate records show.

A review hearing will be held on Monday in front of Brady to determine a day and time for Brown’s preliminary hearing.