Anderson Lee Aldrich has been named as the suspect in a shooting that occurred this past weekend at a trans nightclub in Colorado. According to authorities, Aldrich entered Club Q in Colorado Springs and started firing right away, leaving five people dead and at least 19 more injured.
According to an online docket in the El Paso County Courts, Aldrich, 22, is charged with five charges of first-degree murder and five counts of a bias-motivated felony inflicting bodily injury in connection with the shooting.
Colorado Springs Shooting Suspect
Police reported that the suspect was brought into custody and was receiving medical attention at a hospital, adding that no shots were fired at him. As of late Monday morning, Aldrich was still in the hospital, and Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez reported that despite their efforts to interview the suspect for the inquiry, the suspect had not provided any statements to the authorities.
At 11:56 p.m. local time, the first 911 reports regarding the incident were made, according to the police. At 11:57 p.m., officers were sent out, and an officer arrived at Club Q at midnight. Police said that the suspect was apprehended around 12:02 a.m.
Two guns, including a long rifle Vasquez characterized in an interview with CNN as an AR-style weapon, were reportedly found at the site, according to the police. Although the long rifle was the primary weapon used in the shooting, the suspect also had a pistol, he revealed to CNN on Monday.
Prosecutors asked that court records describing the events leading up to Aldrich's arrest be kept confidential because revealing them may compromise the ongoing investigation. It wasn't immediately clear if Aldrich has legal representation.
An AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle, according to a law enforcement officer, as well as a handgun and extra ammunition magazines were found. The official talked to the AP under the condition of anonymity because he could not publicly discuss probe specifics.
On Monday, officials made it clear that 18 people, not 25, had been injured in the incident. One of them had a wound that was not caused by a firearm. According to them, another person had no obvious wounds. Authorities said that 13 patients were still in hospitals on Monday. Five patients have received care and been freed. All of the hospitalized patients have "reason to hope," according to Mayor John Suthers.
After the attack, many began to wonder why Aldrich's guns had not been taken away from him when he was detained in 2021 after his mother said he had threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons.
Gun control supporters have questioned why police didn't utilize Colorado's "red flag" legislation to take the firearms his mother claims he possessed, even though officials at the time said no explosives were discovered. There is no evidence that felony kidnapping and threatening charges against Aldrich have ever been brought by the prosecution.
The incident brought up memories of the 49-person shooting that took place at the Pulse LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in 2016. Colorado has had a number of mass killings, including those that occurred at Columbine High School in 1999, a movie theater in a Denver suburb in 2012, and a supermarket in Boulder in 2017.
In a year that saw the murder of 21 people in a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, it was the sixth mass killing this month. The LGBTQ community in the conservative-leaning city had long cherished the intimate surroundings of the entertainment facility as a safe haven.
Monday saw the growth of a makeshift memorial that had appeared in the hours following the assault as a constant stream of mourners brought flowers and wrote notes in support of the LGBTQ community. The shooting location was still cordoned off.
Colorado Shooting Suspect is Republican Lawmaker's Grandson
Moreover, the 22-year-old suspect in the mass shooting in a Colorado gay nightclub is the grandson of a Republican lawmaker who supported the attack on the US Capitol on January 6.
The 22-year-old suspect is also Randy Voepel's grandson, a Republican state representative from California. Voepel, a supporter of Donald Trump who is shown wearing a MAGA hat on his social media platforms, had already courted controversy with his response to the Capitol brawl.
Three days after the uprising that resulted in five fatalities and several injuries to police officers, a GOP congressman compared the rioters to the American Revolutionaries. Calls for his expulsion from the assembly were made in response to his remarks. Voepel later apologized for his remarks, telling the Tribune that he "condemned violence and lawlessness."
Voepel sought for reelection this year but lost in the Republican primary. Voepel is the vice chair of the committees on Aging and Long-Term Care, Public Employment and Retirement, and Military and Veterans Affairs. Voepel served as the mayor of Santee, California, from 2000 to 2016 until she was elected to the assembly.
Notably, Voepel held office during the Santana High School shooting, which resulted in two fatalities and 13 injuries. The Independent has learned that Aldrich's mother, Laura Voepel, is the state lawmaker's daughter via public documents and social media posts.
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