The attacker charged over the shooting of five people at Colorado’s Club Q last year has pleaded guilty to murder charges.
Warning: This story has details of extreme violence against LGBTIQA+ people which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 23, opened fire in the crowed club in Colorado Springs using an assault rifle. They also wounded 17 other people.
They were also carrying a pistol but were subdued by heroic patrons before they could carry out further attacks.
On Monday Aldrich accepted a plea deal with prosecutors that will see them spend the rest of their life behind bars. Their decision to plead guilty will also save survivors from having to testify at a trial.
After they were arrested Aldrich informed police that they identify as non-binary and use they/ them pronouns.
At a court hearing Aldrich acknowledged that they “intentionally and after deliberation” caused the death of the victims, and took “substantial steps” to commit murder in the case of those injured.
In a deal with prosecutors Aldrich pleased guilty to five counts of first-degree murder and forty-six counts of attempted murder. He also pleaded no contest to two counts of bias-motivated crimes, Colorado’s wording for a hate-crime. Prosecutors had originally levelled over 300 charges at Aldrich.
They people killed were (in clockwise direction on image) Kelly Loving (she/her), Raymond Green Vance (he/him), Derrick Rump (he/him), Daniel Aston (he/him), and Ashley Paugh (she/her).
Family members of some of the victims spoke at the hearing. Jeff Aston spoke about his son Daniel.
“He was kind-hearted, cheerful, sensitive in spirit and a gifted poet,” the father said. “He had a contagious smile and burning blue eyes … His mom and I will never be the same.”
After the shooting it was revealed, the Aldrich was known to police. A year earlier he was involved in a stand-off with police after his mother reported that he had threatened to harm her with multiple weapons and detonate a bomb. The case was dropped after his mother declined to testify against him.
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