Federal judge accepts plea deal for Club Q shooter, hands down no contest to 55 concurrent life sentences in Colorado

The shooter who opened fire at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs in 2022 was convicted on federal charges Tuesday.

Five people were killed and 19 others were injured at Club Q in a mass shooting that left a painful wound in the Colorado community. Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, called it a “brazen and calculated attack on innocent people.”

“This is one of the most violent, hate-fueled mass shootings targeting the LGBTQIA+ community in our country’s history,” she said. “This tragedy runs counter to our most fundamental American values, respect for the sanctity of life and the intrinsic worth of every human being.”

Late last year, the shooter was sentenced to life in prison on state charges and was transferred from a Colorado prison in a Wyoming State Penitentiary. The convicted killer had pleaded guilty in state court to five counts of murder and 46 counts of attempted murder, as well as two counts of bias-motivated crimes. This resulted in a sentence that included five consecutive life sentences and 2,208 years in prison.

Tuesday morning, Anderson Lee Aldrich pleaded guilty to dozens of federal hate crimes and weapons-related charges. Those pleas were reached as part of a deal with prosecutors that allowed the shooter to avoid the death penalty and face multiple life sentences for the hate crimes.

Early Tuesday afternoon, the judge accepted the plea deal with prosecutors, and the sentence is 55 life sentences for the hate crime charges, followed by 190 years in prison for the firearms and other charges.

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

Family members of the victims of the November 19, 2022 shooting gave emotional statements to the judge and asked for the death penalty. Prosecutors said in a filing dated Jan. 9 that they would not seek the death penalty.

The shooter was also allowed to make a statement in the courtroom, but decided not to.

The shooter was arrested about 5 minutes after the shooting began and after people at the bar took action and were able to arrest the shooter.

All of the following people were killed in the shooting: Ashley Paugh, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Raymond Green Vance and Kelly Loving. They were aged between 22 and 40.

Since the shooting, the nightclub has changed locations. It's now open at the Satellite Hotel, located several miles south of Colorado Springs.