Club Q shooter to plead guilty to 74 federal hate crime and gun violation charges
Anderson Lee Aldrich initially appeared in court on Tuesday (16 January) and pleaded not guilty to the federal charges
The person who murdered five people and injured 19 more in a shooting at an LGBTQ venue in Colorado Springs is expected to plead guilty to 74 federal charges.
Last June Anderson Lee Aldrich, 23, was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting at Club Q in November 2022. They had pleaded guilty to 46 counts of attempted murder and state charges for murder. Daniel Aston, 28; Derrick Rump, 38; Kelly Loving, 40; Ashley Paugh, 34; and, Raymond Vance, 22 were killed in the attack.
New court documents show that Aldrich, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, has made a deal to plead guilty to 50 federal hate crime charges and 24 gun violation charges. As per AP, this would result in multiple life sentences on top of a 190-year prison sentence.
This has come about through an agreement that would allow Aldrich to avoid the death penalty. The maximum punishment for gun violation charges alone is the death penalty. Aldrich had initially appeared in court on Tuesday (16 January) and pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.
“We believe the best way forward is for Club Q to initially open a new venue at a new location”
In a statement confirming the agreement between the defendant and prosecutors involved, the US Department of Justice described the shooting as “a willful, deliberate, malicious and premediated attack.”
AP reported that Ashtin Gamblin, who was shot nine times in the Club Q shooting, wants Aldrich labeled as having committed a hate crime. She also said they should “sit with the thought of not knowing when” or if the death penalty is to be carried out.
The attack destroyed people’s sense of safety and security in the local community.
However, Club Q’s owners announced the venue would open in a new location last October. “We believe the best way forward is for Club Q to initially open a new venue at a new location,” owners said in a statement. The new space would be called The Q and “provide a safe, affirming and inclusive space to everyone.”