This morning the suspect in the deadly shooting at the Springs LGBTQ nightclub Club Q will make a court appearance. Five people were killed, 17 others injured by gunfire on Saturday night, when the suspect 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich entered the club and opened fire. Authorities believe the suspect had two weapons. The suspect was overpowered by two clubgoers, and held until police arrived shortly after. Aldrich is facing multiple charges of first-degree murder, and bias-motivated crimes. In court documents released publicly, Aldrich is referred to by they/them pronouns.
COURT APPEARANCE
The suspect is now in the El Paso County Jail, after spending multiple days in hospital care. Aldrich is expected to appear in court virtually. This will be the suspect’s first court appearance.
SUSPECT NAME CHANGE
The suspect changed their name at the age of 15, with the support of several family members. There are reports that the suspect’s parents both have criminal records. Aldrich, as a teen, was a target for bullying. ABC News says a website was created to bully the then-teenager made comments about their weight.
MOTHER FACEBOOK POST
Some new information about what Aldrich was doing before the deadly gunfire broke out on Saturday night. That night, the alleged shooter’s mother posted a message on Facebook that only her friends could see. ABC News was able to get ahold of that post. The mother said her son was missing, and the two had planned to go see a movie together at 10 pm. The son said they needed to go run an errand, taking her cell phone and debit card. She said the son never came back. The mother ended the post by saying that Aldrich told her “get ready to have the best night ever.”
