Army veteran gives account of tackling Colorado Springs gunman
Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning
Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin
Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich made their first court appearance via video link on Wednesday, after allegedly fatally shooting five people in an LGTBQ+ nightclub on Saturday.
The 22-year-old, who identifies as nonbinary, is facing preliminary charges including five counts of murder along with five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury.
At least 18 others sustained injuries when the suspect stormed into the club just before midnight on Saturday and opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle.
The suspect was taken down by an Army veteran named Richard Fierro, and mugshot photos show Aldrich with extensive wounds to the head and neck.
Police named the five people who died as Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh and Raymond Green Vance.
Meanwhile, the father of the suspect triggered outrage for his anti-LGBT+ views.
Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, told CBS8: “I go on to find out it’s a gay bar. I said, ‘God, is he gay?’ I got scared, ‘S***, is he gay?’ And he’s not gay, so I said, ‘Phhhewww…’”
He added that his family was Mormon, and: “We don’t do gay.”
Key Points
Show latest update
1669261210
Colorado suspect Anderson Aldrich has MAGA ties
Suspected gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, allegedly opened fire inside Club Q in Colorado Springs just before midnight on Saturday night.
Bartenders Daniel Aston and Derrick Rump as well as patron Kelly Loving were among the five victims killed in the attack. Another 25 people were injured, including 19 who suffered gunshot wounds.
The mass shooting came to an end thanks to the bravery of at least one clubgoer, who tackled the gunman to the ground and detained them until law enforcement arrived on the scene.
Rachel Sharp has the story.
Josh Marcus24 November 2022 03:40
1669257610
What are survivors of the Club Q shooting saying?
Ed Sanders was just opening up a tab at Club Q’s bar when the shooting started.
The 63-year-old said he had been waiting in line at the bar, and made his way up to the front and gave the bartender his credit card when he was hit in the back — right between the shoulder blades. Surprised and shocked, he turned to look at the gunman, only to be hit again in the thigh as another volley of shots were fired.
“I fell. And everybody fell,” Sanders said in video statements released Tuesday by UCHealth Memorial Hospital Center. “It was very traumatic. I shielded another woman with my coat … there was a lot of chaos.”
Amy Forliti has the full story.
Josh Marcus24 November 2022 02:40
1669255807
Old arrest records suggest Colorado Springs suspect wanted to ‘go out in a blaze’
Eventually, crisis negotiators were able to bring Aldrich in, and they were booked into El Paso County Jail on on two counts of felony menacing and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, according to the sheriff’s office.
Josh Marcus24 November 2022 02:10
1669254950
Mugshot shows Colorado Springs suspect Anderson Aldrich with face and neck wounds
The photos show Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary, with numerous apparent wounds to the face and neck.
According to clubgoers, multiple patrons at Club Q tackled the 22-year-old and managed to wrestle away the AR-style rifle they were carrying.
More details in our full story.
Josh Marcus24 November 2022 01:55
1669254193
Anderson Aldrich defence announces they are nonbinary
The alleged gunman facing possible hate crime charges in the fatal shooting of five people at a Colorado Springs gay nightclub is nonbinary, the suspect’s defense team says in court filings.
In several standard motions filed on behalf of Anderson Lee Aldrich on Tuesday, public defenders refer to the suspect as “Mx. Aldrich,” noting in footnotes that Aldrich, 22, is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. The motions deal with issues like unsealing documents and evidence gathering, not Aldrich’s identity and there was no elaboration about it.
Aldrich, who was beaten into submission by patrons during Saturday night’s shooting at Club Q, appeared in court for the first time Wednesday by video from jail. The motive in the shooting was still under investigation, but authorities said Aldrich faces possible murder and hate crime charges.
Get all the details in our full story.
Josh Marcus24 November 2022 01:43
1669250650
Father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect apologises: ‘Life is so fragile’
Aaron Brink, father of Colorado Springs mass shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich, is avowedly anti-gay, but apologised nonetheless for the alleged crimes of his child.
“I’m so sorry guys for your loss,” Mr Brink said. “With no regard to politics, it’s human life. I’m so sorry. My soul goes out to you.”
“Life is so fragile, and it’s valuable,” he said. “Those people’s lives were valuable.”
Bevan Hurley has more on what Aldrich’s father said.
Josh Marcus24 November 2022 00:44
1669249330
Photos: Booking picture shows Colorado suspect with extensive facial injuries
The Colorado Springs Police Department has released booking photos of mass shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich.
In the photos, Aldrich can be seen with apparent wounds to the face and neck, likely a result of clubgoers tackling the alleged shooter during the attack.
Josh Marcus24 November 2022 00:22
1669248130
Colorado Springs shooting part of nationwide trend of threats against LGTBQ+ community: report
The weekend massacre at a gay club in Colorado over the weekend is part of a larger pattern of threats against LGBTQ+ people taking place across the country.
According to advocacy group GLAAD, there have been at least 124 protests as well as a significant number of threats against drag events in the US in 2022.
Josh Marcus24 November 2022 00:02
1669246930
How Club Q patrons stopped the Colorado Springs shooter
Richard Fierro, the former US Army major who tackled a gunman to the ground who had opened fire on an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and beat him unconscious, has given an emotional account of his bravery on CNN.
Speaking to John Berman on the network on Monday night, Mr Fierro described what happened when the shooter began firing in Club Q on Saturday night.
He recognised that the shooter, 22-year-old Anderson Aldrich, was wearing a flak vest which has a handle on it and ran across the room, grabbed it, and pulled him to the floor.
Another person helped Mr Fierro bring Mr Aldrich to the ground and he told them to push the AR-15 rifle away.
Oliver O’Connell and Beavn Hurley have more.
Josh Marcus23 November 2022 23:42
1669245730
The Colorado shooter’s strange tie to January 6
Suspected gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, allegedly opened fire inside Club Q in Colorado Springs just before midnight on Saturday night.
Bartenders Daniel Aston and Derrick Rump as well as patron Kelly Loving were among the five victims killed in the attack. Another 25 people were injured, including 19 who suffered gunshot wounds.
The mass shooting came to an end thanks to the bravery of at least one clubgoer, who tackled the gunman to the ground and detained him until law enforcement arrived on the scene.
Rachel Sharp has the full story.
Josh Marcus23 November 2022 23:22