Colorado nightclub shooting suspect charged with murder, hate crimes News
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Colorado nightclub shooting suspect charged with murder, hate crimes

A Colorado court Tuesday formally charged the suspect accused of killing five and injuring 19 in Club Q, a LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on November 19. Anderson Lee Aldrich was formally charged with murder, hate crimes and assault. Aldrich also faces five counts of bias-motivated crime resulting in injury and five counts of first-degree murder.

Aldrich, himself, was injured during the shooting when two patrons tackled him to the ground. Prosecutors filed 305 criminal counts after Aldrich was released from the hospital.

El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen warned that the investigation will be long but assured justice to the victims. Allen stated, “The devastation this violent act has had in our community cannot be measured. But we do know that we will respond to it in a strong way.” The prosecution stated that there needs to be significant evidence to prove that Aldrich’s crimes were bias-motivated.

This case raises questions surrounding Colorado’s red flag law and whether it could it have prevented these deaths. In 2019, Colorado passed a “red flag law” meant to allow an individuals’ family members to contact a court for a temporary “extreme risk protection order” if it is established that the person poses a significant risk of harm if they have a firearm. While police have yet to reveal a motive for this attack, Aldrich was already known to the police after issuing a bomb threat last year.

Aldrich is next due in court on February 22, 2023, for a preliminary hearing.

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