Club Q Mass Shooting Suspect To Plead Guilty
- By
- Carlos Santoscoy
- | June 15, 2023
The suspect in last year's Club Q mass shooting is expected to plead guilty later this month.
According to the AP, Anderson Lee Aldrich has agreed to accept a plea deal to state murder and hate charges. Aldrich may also face federal charges.
The LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado came under attack in November when a lone shooter opened fire with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle just before midnight, killing 5 and wounding 17. Patrons at Club Q subdued Aldrich until the police arrived.
The AP learned about the plea deal from victims, who are required under state law to be notified.
AP reporters also spoke with Aldrich, who since their arrest has identified as non-binary.
“Nothing's ever going to bring back their loved ones,” Aldrich reportedly said. “People are going to have to live with injury that can't be repaired.”
When asked for a motive, Aldrich answered that they “don't know.”
“That's why I think it's so hard to comprehend that it did happen,” they said.
Defense attorneys have argued that Aldrich was not motivated by hate but was drugged up on cocaine and medication the Saturday night of the attack.
The AP also reported that prosecutors have notified survivors of the possible release of the Club Q surveillance video of the attack following a June 26 hearing.