Anderson Lee Aldrich, convicted for the 2022 massacre at Club Q in Colorado Springs, receives additional life sentences for killing five people. Judge emphasises targeting of LGBT community during Pride Month, with federal hate crime charges included in plea agreement.
A shooter responsible for killing five people at an LGBT nightclub in Colorado has received 55 life sentences. Anderson Lee Aldrich, already serving five life sentences for the 2022 massacre at Club Q in Colorado Springs, was handed additional penalties by a United States district judge on Tuesday. The incident left 22 others injured.
Judge Charlotte Sweeney emphasized the targeting of the LGBT community, noting that Aldrich’s actions during Pride Month highlighted the resilience of the community. Aldrich had amassed a collection of weapons valued at $9,000 over two years.
Federal hate crime charges, which can carry severe penalties including the death penalty, were part of Aldrich’s guilty plea agreement with prosecutors, who decided not to seek the death sentence in exchange for Aldrich’s 74 guilty pleas.
On November 19, 2022, Aldrich entered Club Q with an AR-15-style assault rifle and opened fire, killing five. Patrons subdued the attacker before police arrived. In court documents, federal prosecutors noted that Aldrich had posted several online rants, revealing racist, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBTQIA+ beliefs.
Acting US Attorney for the district of Colorado, Matt Kirsch, stated that the plea demonstrates a clear stance against hate crimes in the United States. Aldrich, aged 24, was identified as non-binary by defense attorneys; however, state prosecutors indicated there was no evidence of this identification prior to the incident.
The Club Q shooting is among numerous attacks on LGBT venues in the US, including a 2016 attack on an Orlando nightclub which claimed 49 lives.
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