Anderson Lee Aldrich, the gunman who killed five during an attack on an LGBTQIA+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, pleaded guilty in court Monday to five counts of murder, 46 counts of attempted murder and no contest to two bias-motivated crimes. Aldrich was sentenced to 5 terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole and 2,208 years for attempted murder, running consecutively.
Judge Michael McHenry gave an opening statement as he read the charges, saying:
You are targeting a group of people for their simple existence. 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.
During a portion of the hearing that was not live-streamed, victims and family members of the victims testified to the emotional damage they have experienced as a result of Aldrich’s attack. Jeff Aston, whose son Daniel Aston was killed, stated, “[Daniel] was a huge light in this world that was snuffed out by a heinous, evil and cowardly act.”
Aldrich was given an opportunity to speak, but chose instead to speak through their attorney who said, “They want everyone to know they’re sorry.”
Aldrich was previously charged in 2021 with two counts of felony menacing and three counts of first-degree kidnapping for threatening their mother. The charges were later dropped. This raised questions as to whether Colorado’s current “red flag” gun laws, that allow family members to attain a temporary order restraining their loved one from purchasing a gun, have been effective.
Many experts have warned of increasing instances of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community, especially transgender people. There has been a steep increase in laws limiting LGBTQIA+ rights, with 491 bills moving through state legislatures or recently signed into law according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This is despite a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) report that showed support for the LGBTQIA+ community is on the rise.
It is unclear whether Aldrich will be charged with any federal crimes.
