According to the court records, the man who is suspected of opening fire inside of an LGBTQ nightclub, killing five people and injuring more than a dozen others, is being charged with murder as well as a hate crime.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, age 22, is being held without bond and may be charged with five counts of murder and five counts of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury, though these charges are preliminary and haven’t been filed yet. Aldrich is being held on suspicion of committing the crimes that led to the deaths of five people and injuring five others.
After the horrific rampage that left the community in mourning, the authorities began their investigation for a motive for the attack on Monday.
On Monday, the Colorado Springs Police Department provided an update regarding the number of people who were injured in the attack. They confirmed that there were five people who were killed and stated that 17 other people sustained gunshot wounds.
We owe Colorado heroes Richard Fierro and Thomas James an outstanding debt of thanks for confronting and fighting the gunman and preventing further violence at the Club Q Shooting.
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) November 22, 2022
They also stated that another person was hurt but not by a gunshot and that another person “was a victim with no visible injuries.” The agency has requested that the FBI be contacted by anyone who was a victim of the attack or who has information regarding the incident.
Thomas James and Richard Fierro were named as the two patrons who intervened to stop the shooter before he could do any more damage at a news conference held in the afternoon.
Read More: Gunman Kills 5 People In A Colorado LGBTQ Nightclub Before Being Caught By Patrons
Mayor John Suthers referred to them as “heroes” and expressed his astonishment at the humility displayed by Fierro, an Army veteran who only told him, “I was trying to defend my family.” Fierro was quoted as saying, “I was trying to protect my family.”
Michael Allen, the district attorney for El Paso County, stated that the suspect is still in the hospital, but he is expected to make his first court appearance by video within the next several days.
It looks like the reports about the hate that the Colorado shooter was raised around are true. The intersection of hate, guns, and MAGA is a deadly mix. As this shooter is investigating, I hope law enforcement pursues this all the way up the family tree.https://t.co/3DwlpO4IPV
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) November 21, 2022
According to the Associated Press, the perpetrator of the shooting employed a semiautomatic weapon the manner of an AR-15. Additionally, a handgun and additional ammo magazines were discovered at the scene of the crime.
After being taken down by clubgoers shortly after midnight on Saturday, Aldrich was taken into custody by the authorities within minutes of their arrival at Club Q.
Suthers stated on NBC’s “Today” show that the attack “has all the trappings of a hate crime,” then emphasized at the news conference, “We all want to ensure that our community is not defined by this tragedy but by our response to it,” Suthers said. “We all want to ensure that our community is not defined by this tragedy but by our response to it.”
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