4A Tuesday, June 27, 2023
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
NATION
Colorado Springs nightclub shooter sentenced to life
Colorado Judicial Branch via AP
In this image taken from video provided by the Colorado Judicial Branch, Anderson Lee
Aldrich, left, the suspect in a mass shooting that killed five people at a Colorado Springs
LGBTQ+ nightclub last year, appears in court Monday, June 26, in Colorado Springs, Colo.,
where they pleaded guilty in the attack. The defendant faces life in prison on the murder
charges under the plea agreement.
BY COLLEEN SLEVIN
AND JESSE BEDAYN
Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS,
Colo. — The person who
killed five people at a Colo
rado Springs nightclub in
2022 was sentenced to life
in prison on Monday, after
victims called the shooter
a “monster” and “coward”
who hunted down revelers
in a calculated attack on a
sanctuary for the LGBTQ+
community.
During an emotional
courtroom hearing packed
with victims and family
members, Anderson Lee
Aldrich pleaded guilty to
five counts of murder and 46
counts of attempted murder
- one for each person at Club
Q on the night of the shoot
ing. Aldrich also pleaded no
contest to two hate crimes,
one a felony and the other a
misdemeanor.
“This thing sitting in this
court room is not a human,
it is a monster,” said Jessica
Fierro, whose daughter’s
boyfriend was killed that
night. “The devil awaits with
open arms.”
The guilty plea comes
just seven months after the
shooting and spares victim’s
families and survivors a long
and potentially painful trial.
More charges could be
coming: The FBI confirmed
Monday it was working with
the U.S. Justice Depart
ment’s civil rights division
on a separate investigation
into the attack.
People in the courtroom
wiped away tears as the
judge explained the charges
and read out the names of
the victims. Judge Michael
McHenry also issued a stern
rebuke of Aldrich’s actions,
connecting it to societal
woes.
‘You are targeting a group
of people for their simple
existence,” McHenry said.
“Like too many other people
in our culture, you chose to
find a power that day behind
the trigger of a gun, your
actions reflect the deepest
malice of the human heart,
and malice is almost always
born of ignorance and fear.”
The killings rekindled
memories of the 2016 mas
sacre at the Pulse gay night
club in Orlando, Florida,
that killed 49 people.
Relatives and friends of
victims were able to give
statements in court Monday
to remember their loved
ones. Survivors spoke about
how their lives were forever
altered just before midnight
on Nov. 19 when the sus
pect walked into Club Q and
indiscriminately fired an
AR-15-style semiautomatic
rifle.
The father of a Club Q
bartender said Daniel Aston
had been in the prime of his
life when he was shot and
killed.
“He was huge light in this
world that was snuffed out
by a heinous, evil and cow
ardly act,” Jeff Aston said.
“I will never again hear him
laugh at my dad jokes. ”
Daniel Aston’s mother,
Sabrina, was among those
who said they would not for
give the crimes.
Another forgave Aldrich
without excusing the crime.
“I forgive this individual,
as they are a symbol of a
broken system, of hate and
vitriol pushed against us as
a community,” said Wyatt
Kent, Aston’s partner. “What
brings joy to me is that this
hurt individual will never be
able to see the joy and the
light that has been wrought
into our community as an
outcome.”
Aldrich’s body shook
slightly as the victims and
family members spoke. The
defendant also looked down
and glanced occasionally at
a screen showing photos of
the victims.
Aldrich — who identifies
as nonbinary and uses they
and them pronouns — did
not reveal a motivation and
declined to address the court
during the sentencing part of
the hearing. Defense attor
ney Joseph Archambault
said “they want everyone to
know they’re sorry. ”
The guilty plea follows
a series of jailhouse phone
calls from Aldrich to The
Associated Press expressing
remorse for the shooting.
District Attorney Michael
Allen said Aldrich’s state
ments were self-serving and
rang hollow. And the pros
ecutor rejected the notion
that Aldrich was nonbinary.
“There’s zero evidence
prior to the shooting that
he was nonbinary,” said
Allen, who repeatedly
called Aldrich a coward.
“He exhibited extreme
hatred for the people in the
LGBTQ+ community, and so
I think it was a stilted effort
to avoid any bias motivated
or hate charges.”
Allen told the judge that
the victims were targeted
“for who they were an are. ”
“Hatred coupled with
criminal action will not be
tolerated,” he added.
Aldrich’s no contest plea
on hate crimes charges
effectively has the same
impact as a conviction
under Colorado law and
doesn’t absolve them of
responsibility.
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