LA MESA, Calif. (CNS) - Authorities asked for the public's help Wednesday in identifying and locating the suspects responsible for the murder of 22-year-old U.S. Navy sailor Corneilius Donte Brown in 2021.
On April 24, 2021, at about 12:26 a.m., the La Mesa Police Department received several 911 calls of gunshots heard in the area of 4300 Echo Court in La Mesa, according to Officer Mark Herring of the San Diego Police Department.
Officers arrived within four minutes and located a gunshot victim, later identified as Brown, inside the residence at 4306 Echo Court, #A, Herring said.
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Brown suffered from multiple gunshots to his upper body and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he died during surgery, the officer said.
"According to witnesses who were inside the apartment, Brown was shot when he answered an unexpected knock at the front door," Herring said. "Upon opening the door, Brown encountered two suspects. One of the suspects fired multiple shots at Brown."
The suspects reportedly ran southbound on Echo Court and then eastbound on Echo Drive. Both suspects were described as men wearing ski masks and black hooded sweatshirts.
Brown was stationed at Naval Base Coronado.
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The victim's family is offering a $9,000 reward in addition to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers and $5,000 from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Anyone with information on the killing was asked to call the La Mesa Police Department at 619-667-7533 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477.
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