A 22-year-old man is charged at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs that he killed at least five people and injured dozens more.
Records show that the suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, has had a previous run-in with the law. In June 2021, he was arrested after her mother told police that her son threatened to harm her with a homemade bomb, multiple weapons, and ammunition.
Police at the scene of the Q Club shooting in Colorado Springs. (@TreyRuffy/Twitter)
(@TreyRuffy/Twitter)
Deputies responded to the home and a brief standoff ensued. Aldrich eventually gave up and was arrested, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said.
No explosives were found in the house. Aldrich was charged with two counts of felony menacing and three counts of first degree kidnapping.
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Authorities say at least two firearms, including a “long rifle,” were used in Saturday’s deadly shooting at Club Q, raising questions about how Aldrich was allegedly able to obtain weapons and walk free, despite his criminal past.
Fox News Digital has reached out to multiple law enforcement agencies who did not speak about the investigation.
Flowers and a sign reading “love over hate” lay near a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, November 20, 2022, where a shooting occurred Saturday night.
(AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)
Howard Black, spokesman for the Colorado Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, said the investigation is “in the early stages” and information will be released as appropriate.
The El Pasto County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that Aldrich’s mugshot will not be released because “investigative witness account statements including a lineup of photos may be needed.”
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The Colorado Springs Police Department, which is leading the investigation, will release Aldrich’s mugshot if the investigation allows, the sheriff’s office said.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, former Chicago Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Dan Kirk weighed in on the Saturday night shooting. He said it “shocks his conscience” that someone who has exhibited violent tendencies has not been prosecuted for those crimes and still has access to lethal weapons and firearms.
A police officer gets out of his car near the crime scene at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Sunday, November 20, 2022, where a shooting occurred Saturday night.
(AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)
“This is the type of red flag that should really prevent someone from having access to dangerous firearms,” he said. “I think all states and the federal government need to take a hard look at creating sensible red flag laws.”
Since no explosives were found after Aldrich threatened to use a bomb, Kirk acknowledged there is a “big difference” between making empty threats and carrying out the real ones.
“It’s a felony, but it’s a felony disorderly conduct,” Kirk said, sharing his years of experience as a top Illinois prosecutor. “It’s not a high-class felony. So depending on the person’s background, if they didn’t have a significant type of record, you might not expect them to get more than a relatively minor slap on the wrist for the first time.” . offense.”
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Aldrich has now been arrested for the Club Q shooting. Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez says at least two “heroic” patrons were able to subdue Aldrich just before police arrived. He has since been transferred to a local hospital for treatment.
9NewsKelly Reinke of Denver reported later on Sunday that the suspect’s mother, according to Chief Adrián Vásquez, has stopped cooperating with police.
Vasquez told him the suspect was “injured” when two patrons of the nightclub knocked him down. According to the mayor, one of the customers hit the suspect with one of his own weapons.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
