The suspect was a twenty-two-year-old male (Anderson Lee Aldrich) who committed a crime that involved five murders and a dozen injured. The mass shooting happened in an LGBTQ nightclub located in Colorado Springs. The scheduled court date will be this weekend.
El Paso County Jail held a conference video announcing that Anderson Lee Aldrich should come to the court date.
The Expected Charges
Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said “The advisement of the arrest charges as well as advisement of bond conditions.” There will be no bond for Aldrich, Allen stated.
According to El Paso County Courts’ online docket, preliminary charges involve five charges. The five charges were first-degree murder. The other five charges of a bias-motivated crime, having caused bodily harm. The expected date will be in ten days for the charges, Allen added.
Prior to the conference video, Anderson Lee Aldrich’s attorneys filed a court document, a paper that was sent in electronically or physically, to provide a reference, stating that the alleged shooter identifies as non-binary. “They use they-them pronouns, and for the purposes of all formal filings, will be addressed as Mx. Aldrich.” Aldrich’s public defender’s office turned down every request seeking comment, quoting office policy.
The court wants unsealing files and collecting evidence, not Aldrich’s pronouns, and there was little to no discussion of it.
Victims Mourning
Victims and dear ones among those gunned down are processing their emotions of pain and horror. As both the investigation and judicial procedures continue, after just a great night of drag showings and partying ended up turning violent at Club Q, a venue considered a safe haven for Colorado Springs’ LGBTQ community.
The people who died in the nightclub were Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, and Derrick Rump. A few of them were employees and the other were partying. The gunfire made nineteen people get wounded, police said.
The Heroes of the Night
Police labeled Richard Fierro and Thomas James as the heroes who put an end to the shooting. Fierro said he attacked the suspect down, grabbed the weapon, and started striking the suspect with it. “I kept whaling on him. I’m a big dude and this guy was bigger,” Fierro said.
“I just ran over there. Got him. I’m thinking, ‘I gotta kill this guy. He’s gonna kill my kid. He’s gonna kill my wife,” he said.
“It’s the reflex. Go. Go to the fire. Stop the action. Stop the activity.”
Fierro is a fifteen-year-old US Army veteran that was with his wife and daughter at a drag show at the club.
Written By: Alexis Medina
Source:
APNews: Colorado gay club shooting suspect to be at court hearing
The Hill: Biden calls veteran credited with taking down Club Q gunman
BBC: Club Q Colorado shooting: Attack was ended by dad and drag performer
Featured Image by Courtesy of messycupcakes Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Daryl Marquardt Flickr Page – Creative Commons License