The gunman was charged with federal hate crimes and weapons related to the large shooting at Colorado Springs, Colorado on November 19, 2022, according to Assistant United States Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
After pleading guilty to Colorado’s state-level charges in the Club Q shooting, which led to his life sentence without the possibility of parole, Anderson Lee Aldrich, 23, is now housed in a Wyoming prison.
According to the Colorado Department of Corrections, Aldrich was relocated to the Wyoming State Penitentiary last year because of concerns about dangers to his health in Colorado’s prison facilities.
The Justice Department entered 50 hate crimes charges and 24 arms charges in this most recent legal development, and Aldrich used a semiautomatic weapon in the attack. According to Clarke’s news, Aldrich submitted a notice of intent and requested that the judge plan a change of plea hearing.
The parties simultaneously requested that the U.S. District Court plan the change of plea and sentencing hearings on the same day in consultation with the victims of this event, which the courtroom accepted.
Additionally, the parties informed the court that there is a plea agreement in this dispute, and that it is anticipated that the defendant will agree to enter a guilty plea in the case. The date for the guilty plea hearing has not yet been determined.
The Human Rights Campaign’s regional press secretary, Brandon Wolf, responded to the news by saying in an emailed statement to the Washington Blade: “…
The assault on Club Q was “the kind of anti-LGBT+ hate we must work to combat across the country.” It is important for the Justice Department to counteract hate rather than perpetuate it. Policies that protect populations and hold perpetrators accountable, like the Matthew Shepard/James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, are important. Although these charges won’t bring back those who have been taken from their loved ones, they do so in a positive way. Our campaign for action to recognize the victims and survivors continues.
The court is alleged to have charged Aldrich with murdering five people, injuring 19 and attempting to murder 28 more in a deliberate, purposeful, harmful, and premeditated attack at Club Q. According to the prosecution, Aldrich opened fire when he entered Club Q with a loaded assault weapon. Aldrich continued to fire until patrons subdued him. According to the indictment, Aldrich is also alleged to have attacked someone because of any person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, whether or not they are real or perceived.
Aldrich identified as nonbinary during the state prosecutor trial that took place last year in Colorado Springs’ El Paso County Superior Court. Michael Allen, the district attorney for El Paso County, stated to reporters that he thought Aldrich claimed to be nonbinary in order to avoid being charged with hate crimes under the state’s laws. Aldrich, the district attorney, added that there was no evidence that he was nonbinary before the shooting.
The situation was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
