Club Q shooter pleads guilty in 2022 mass shooting

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 3 minutes read

The shooter who killed five people and injured more than a dozen others in 2022 at a Colorado LGBTQ+ nightclub pleaded guilty Tuesday to a litany of federal charges, leading to a new round of life sentences for the attack.

Anderson Lee Aldrich, 24, pleaded guilty to 74 counts in U.S. District Court, including federal hate crimes and gun-related charges. Aldrich was sentenced later Tuesday to multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole for the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.

Aldrich opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle in the nightclub before bar patrons intervened to stop the rampage.

Aldrich is already serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for state murder charges. The agreement was reached to spare the families of survivors and victims a potentially painful trial. “I intentionally and after deliberation caused the death of each victim,” Aldrich told the state judge at the time.

U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney told Aldrich that “the community is much stronger than you” during sentencing.

“This community is stronger than your armor, stronger than your weapons, and it is certainly also stronger than your hatred,” she told Aldrich.

Aldrich declined to make a statement during his federal hearing Tuesday.

Aldrich murdered Ashley Paugh, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Raymond Green Vance and Kelly Loving.

Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department, said at a news conference after Aldrich's sentencing that Aldrich knew the layout of the premises from previous visits and had stored more than 9 $000 worth of guns from 56 different sellers.

“Prior to committing this heinous crime, the defendant created a website to post videos espousing racist ideology and discussing racially motivated mass shootings,” Clarke said. “The defendant used online platforms to express anti-gay and anti-transgender views.”

Club Q has been closed since the shooting, and the owners said in an October 2023 letter that it would not reopen in the same location.

Survivors and victims say Colorado Springs' queer community is resilient

Survivors and victims of the Club Q mass shooting called the nightclub a refuge for many people in Colorado Springs. Wyatt Kent, a drag queen, previously told USA TODAY he was there for her birthday. He told the court on Tuesday that his partner, Aston, was killed in the shooting.

“All my 22 years before that night can never be restored, but in this I forgive you,” Kent said in court, addressing Aldrich. “As a queer community, we are the most resilient and we continue to hold that beauty within us. We continue to find joy in trauma and pain and unfortunately, these are things you will never experience for the rest of your life.

Estella Bell, Vance's grandmother, was frustrated that prosecutors were not seeking the death penalty and wanted Aldrich to “eat rat poison.” Vance was at Club Q with his girlfriend the night he was killed, celebrating his birthday.

The Club Q mass shooting brought back memories of those who survived or lost loved ones in the 2016 Pulse Nightclub mass shooting.

Massacre database: Revealing the trends, details and angst of every American event since 2006

Shooting haunted Pulse nightclub survivors

Many were scared and distressed after the shooting. It echoed the 2016 shooting at the Pulse LBGTQ+ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where 49 people were gunned down.

Following Club Q's rampage, Pulse survivor Chris Hansen said he was devastated, but urged Colorado's LGBTQ+ community to stay strong.

“Don’t give up and don’t stay in the dark,” he said at the time. “They need to remember that as long as they're alive, there's still hope. And as long as you're living, there's still love, and love wins and you can't allow this 22 year old takes away your happiness, your shine, your love, your community, your strength.”

More: State Department issues 'global caution' for travelers, warns of anti-LGBTQ+ violence

Aldrich kills 5 at Club Q in 'malicious' attack

Aldrich entered Club Q on November 19, 2022 with an AR-style rifle and opened fire on the crowded nightclub. Prosecutors said that in addition to killing five people, Aldrich injured 19 and attempted to murder 26 others in the “deliberate, malicious and premeditated” attack.

“Aldrich committed this attack based on the clients’ real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity,” the DOJ said in a statement.

Prosecutors noted in court documents that Club Q honored Transgender Day of Remembrance and was a prominent LGBTQ+ nightclub in the city.

Contributors: Thao Nguyen, Josh Meyer, Cady Stanton, Terry Collins, USA TODAY; Reuters.

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @KrystalRNurse.

Survivors and victims say Colorado Springs' queer community is resilient

Shooting haunted Pulse nightclub survivors

Aldrich kills 5 at Club Q in 'malicious' attack

Lina Portman

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