Colorado Club Q shooter pleads guilty to 50 federal hate crimes

The shooter who killed five people and injured 19 others at a Colorado LGBTQ nightclub pleaded guilty to 50 federal hate crime charges on Tuesday.

Anderson Lee Aldrich, 24, who uses they/them pronouns, is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty last June to state murder charges.

Aldrich entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors that allows them to avoid the death penalty and instead be sentenced to additional life sentences for the hate crimes and a total of 190 years for the gun charges. and other charges. The Associated Press reported.

Prosecutors argue that Aldrich targeted Club Q in Colorado Springs, a predominantly conservative city, because it served as a sanctuary and gathering place for the city’s LGBTQ community. They argue it was a premeditated shooting fueled by prejudice.

Defense attorneys said Aldrich was under the influence of cocaine and medication at the time of the shooting. In a call to the AP last year, Aldrich said it was “completely wrong” that the shooting was motivated by hate.

The AP previously noted that Aldrich expressed remorse and understood they would face consequences.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Aldrich entered the club on November 19, 2022, and began shooting with a loaded assault rifle as part of a “malicious” attack.

Shortly before the shooting, Aldrich coordinated a spam email campaign against a former work supervisor who is gay. They spent more than $9,000 on weapons between September 2020 and the 2022 shooting. Investigators found a hand-drawn map of the club marked with entry and exit points and training materials for active shooter situations, the AP reported.

The shooting was interrupted by a Marine officer who grabbed Aldrich’s rifle and an Army veteran who subdued them before police arrived.

Aldrich was previously arrested in June 2021, accused of threatening his grandparents and promising to become the “next mass murderer.” Their family did not cooperate with the case and it was dropped.

The Associated Press contributed.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story