Anderson Lee Aldrich, 24, sentenced to 55 concurrent life terms plus 190 years for the shooting at LGBTQ+ nightclub Club Q in 2022. The incident led to five deaths and 19 injuries, with Aldrich pleading guilty to federal hate crimes and gun-related charges, avoiding the death penalty.
Colorado Springs Nightclub Shooter Sentenced to Multiple Life Terms
On June 18, 2024, Anderson Lee Aldrich, 24, was sentenced to 55 concurrent life sentences plus an additional 190 years in federal court for a shooting at LGBTQ+ nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs in 2022. This sentencing follows Aldrich’s plea of guilty to 74 federal counts, including 50 federal hate crimes and other gun-related charges. The plea deal ensured that Aldrich would not face the death penalty.
The incident occurred on November 19, 2022, when Aldrich, armed with a pistol and an AR-15-style rifle, opened fire at Club Q, resulting in the deaths of five individuals and injuries to 19 others. Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, declined to make a statement during the sentencing.
The victims of the shooting included Daniel Aston, 28, Derrick Rump, 38, Raymond Green Vance, 22, Kelly Loving, 40, and Ashley Paugh, 35. Among the injured was Ashtin Gamblin, who survived despite being shot nine times.
In addition to the federal charges, Aldrich had previously pleaded guilty to 51 state charges and was sentenced to five life terms plus 2,208 years in state prison for each count of attempted first-degree murder.
The sentencing hearing took place in a Denver courtroom filled with victims’ friends and family members, many of whom called for the harshest possible punishment for Aldrich. U.S. Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney, Colorado’s first openly gay federal judge, presided over the case, emphasizing the significance of the hate crime admission in her decision.
In closing, the judge noted the premeditated nature of the crime and Aldrich’s expressed hatred, highlighted by a spam email campaign against a gay supervisor and disseminating a racist and antisemitic manifesto. Aldrich’s prior run-in with the law involved an alleged bomb threat in 2021, though no bomb was found, and no charges were pursued.
The attack at Club Q significantly impacted the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs, a city with a history of mass shootings. Despite the sentences, Club Q remains a symbol of both tragedy and resilience for the community it served.
