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Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich wanted to be the “next mass murderer” and go out “on fire,” according to previous arrest records. More than a year before the 22-year-old allegedly killed five victims in a mass shooting at LGBT+ nightclub Club Q, Aldrich was arrested for an alleged bomb threat. No charges were filed and the case was sealed. Records have emerged showing the accused killer’s grandmother told police she was told “he was going to be the next mass murderer and was collecting ammunition, firearms, body armor and storing it in the basement of the residence.” Aldrich, who reportedly identifies as non-binary, now faces preliminary charges including five counts of murder along with five counts of bias crime causing bodily harm in the Saturday night massacre. Aldrich’s father has sparked outrage after he said his first reaction when told of the mass shooting was to wonder why his son was in a gay bar.
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Colorado Springs shooting suspect ‘threatened mother with homemade bomb’ in June 2021
A person with the same name and age was arrested in June 2021 after his mother told officers he threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons. Colorado prosecutors declined to specifically confirm the connection Sunday morning, saying only that the 2021 incident was “all part of the investigation and will be released as appropriate.” Johanna Chisholm24 November 2022 11:30 1669288213
Anti-gay father says ‘no excuse for shooting a child’
The father of the murder suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, said while he has anti-gay views, there is no excuse for his son to shoot people at an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs. “I’m so sorry guys for your loss,” said Aaron Brink, 48. “Regardless of politics, it’s human life. I’m so sorry. My soul goes out to you.” “Life is so fragile and it’s precious,” he said. “These people’s lives were precious.” Alisha Rahaman Sarkar November 24, 2022 11:10 am 1669286880
Mike Pence backtracks on anti-LGBT elements before five killed in Colorado shooting
Former Vice President Mike Pence appeared to take a step back from his party’s hard-right stance in an interview taped days before a deadly attack at a gay nightclub that has been blamed on a rising tide of anti-LGBT hatred. Mr. Pence was interviewed by Margaret Brennan on CBS’s Face the Nation last week. his remarks were broadcast on Sunday. During the interview, he was asked about legislation passed by the US Senate this week seeking to protect same-sex marriage rights at the federal level. Unlike other conservatives in his party, Pence appeared to distance himself from the rhetoric espoused by many far-right commentators such as Matt Walsh, Chris Rufo and Tucker Carlson that seek to link LGBT Americans to pedophilia. The loose accusations of “grooming” against gay Americans emanating from this wing of the GOP have been blamed for a new wave of violence and discrimination against LGBT communities both online and in the real world. John Bowden has the details. Josh Marcus November 24, 2022 10:48 am 1669284613
Tucker Carlson slammed for dismissing anti-LGBT+ motivation in shootings
Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson has come under fire for dismissing the possibility that anti-LGBT+ hatred was behind the mass shooting at a gay club in Colorado Springs that killed five people and injured 18 others. In the wake of the mass shooting, the right-wing news anchor dismissed the suspect’s motive, suggesting that Aldrich was “obviously a troubled person.” “So the most obvious question is why did he shoot 30 people? The truth is, we don’t know,” he said during The Tucker Carlson Tonight Show. “We know he was clearly a troubled person,” Carlson said, adding that the suspect was arrested in 2021 for threatening his mother with a homemade bomb. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar November 24, 2022 10:10 am 1669282800
AOC Eviscerates Lauren Boebert for ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ in Colorado Springs Mass Shooting Response
After the shooting at midnight on Saturday, Ms Bobert tweeted that “the news out of Colorado Springs is absolutely awful”. “This morning the victims and their families are in my prayers. This lawless violence must end and end quickly,” he added. Alisha Rahman Sarkar has the story. Josh Marcus24 November 2022 09:40 1669281013
Why the hell can’t America end this deadly gun violence?
How are you supposed to feel when a man walks into an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and opens fire, killing five and injuring 20 others? Horror, sure, and admiration for the faces who tackled the alleged shooter before he destroyed even more lives. The same is true when you learn that six people were killed at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, when an employee opened fire late at night, critically injuring half a dozen others, before turning the gun on himself. But alongside sympathy for the victims, there are two other emotions that swell and won’t go away. And it’s anger and rage, writes Andrew Buncombe. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar24 November 2022 09:10 1669279680
‘Master of Silly Business’ among 5 dead in Colorado shooting
On a typical night at Club Q, an LGBTQ stronghold in the predominantly conservative city of Colorado Springs, Daniel Aston seemed to let loose and slide across the stage on his knees, his mullet tail screaming and voices. The venue provided Ashton, a 28-year-old transsexual and self-proclaimed “Master of Silly Business,” the liberating performances he had long sought. But on Saturday it became the site of the latest mass shooting in the US, when a gunman with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire, killing Ashton and four others. Twenty-five others were injured. Jess Bedayn has the story. Josh Marcus24 November 2022 08:48 1669277454
The suspect was shot without bail
The suspected gunman facing possible hate crime charges in the fatal shooting of five people at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs has been ordered held without bail. At a first court appearance yesterday, the suspect sat slumped in a chair with visible injuries to their face and head. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, who identifies as non-binary, appeared to need prodding from defense attorneys during a brief video showing from the jail. Aldrich gave a vague answer when asked to state their names by El Paso County Circuit Court Judge Charlotte Ankeny. The suspect was beaten by patrons during the Club Q shooting and was released from the hospital Tuesday. A motive for the shooting was still under investigation, but authorities said Aldrich faces possible murder and hate crime charges. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar24 November 2022 08:10 1669275607
Mothers, friends, artists among the dead in Colorado gay club
A dear friend. A 28-year-old bartender who loved to play. A mother visiting from a small town who enjoyed hunting. They are among the victims of the rampage at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs that left five dead and 17 others wounded by gunfire. Club regulars and newcomers — gay and straight, transgender and cisgender — flocked to Club Q on the weekend to dance, enjoy a comedy show or work behind the bar. What started as a typical Saturday night of dancing and drinking at the prominent LGBTQ institution in the conservative Colorado town south of Denver ended in tragedy when a gunman entered and began spraying bullets before being tackled and subdued. More details in our full story. Josh Marcus November 24, 2022 7:40 am 1669273854
Eleven injured remain in hospital
Of the 17 people who were shot in Saturday’s attack, 11 remained in hospital as of last night, officials said. At least five people were killed when 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich burst into an LGBT+ nightclub and opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle. The suspect was apprehended by an Army veteran named Richard Fierro with the help of fellow patrons. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar24 November 2022 07:10
