Colorado college student put $500 on his football teammate after he turned off his TV, cops say

A 19-year-old college student has been arrested in Colorado on an alleged hit-and-run scheme to kill his football teammate after their friendship soured.

Jackson T. Keller, a student at Fort Lewis College in Durango, near the New Mexico border, was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of “criminal solicitation for first-degree murder and illegal possession of a weapon on college grounds,” it reported. The Durango Herald.

Keller, who is listed as a freshman linebacker on the college’s 2025 football roster, was released after posting a $50,000 bond.

According to an arrest affidavit filed in the United Courts of La Plata County, the murder-for-hire plot developed when Keller fell with his partner, a defensive back. He first asked a mutual relative to carry out the hit, the documents said, and when he refused, Keller then turned to three alleged assassins from Colorado Springs.

Keller and the would-be target were previously friends, the affidavit said, and lived in dorm rooms connected by an adjoining bathroom. The former friend had begun locking his connecting door to keep Keller out of his room after a series of incidents, the documents said.

The victim told the police officers that Keller had tried to enter his room last Wednesday, but could not enter because the door was locked. The incident was witnessed by another friend and fellow student, Kobe McGill, who subsequently joined the defense to go to Keller’s room to confront him.

During the ensuing confrontation, the victim “became upset” and kicked Keller’s TV, knocking over his PlayStation, although neither device was damaged, the affidavit said.

Keller challenged the victim to a fight, and McGill told police the suspect was holding a pair of scissors behind his back and said he was going to “silence anyone who comes into his room to try to hurt him.”

Once the victim had returned to his own room, Keller allegedly asked McGill if he would “put a hat” on the defensive part for $500, and offered to send money via CashApp after he had “done it.” McGill told police his understanding was that Keller was asking to kill his partner.

When McGill refused, Keller told him “nevermind,” and according to the documents, McGill says he then saw him on a FaceTime call with three men handling firearms who agreed to “put a hat” on him.

McGill saw Keller send a $500 CashApp payment to the men, he told police, and said they would be “on their way,” with an expected seven-hour drive from Colorado Springs to Durango.

McGill left the room and described what he had seen to the would-be target, who reported the incident to housing officials, who called the police.

When Keller was questioned by law enforcement the next day, he denied hitting his former friend, the affidavit said; he was booked into the La Plata County Jail later Thursday.

In its press release, the college said “probable cause was established for the charges listed” when a search warrant was executed on campus Friday night.

Court records show no criminal history for Keller in Colorado, CBS reported, and only a previous traffic ticket in Florida.

According to the college football roster, Keller’s hometown is Tampa, Florida, and his biography on the site said he “enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to artists like Rod Wave and NBA Youngboy, and his favorite food is chicken.” He had planned to major in Business, the biography said.

Keller is now subject to a mandatory protection order that prohibits him from going near or contacting the alleged victim.

A spokeswoman for the college told CBS News that the safety of students, faculty and staff was a “top priority,” and said the Fort Lewis College Police Department “acted quickly and in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.”

“FLC’s prompt response demonstrates the strength of our campus safety protocols and partnerships.”

Keller’s next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 23 in La Plata County Court.