Army veteran describes dealing with Colorado Springs gunman
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Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich wanted to be “the next mass murderer” and go out “in flames,” according to past arrest records.
More than a year before the 22-year-old killed five people in a mass shooting at LGBT+ nightclub Club Q, Aldrich was arrested on charges of making a bomb threat. No charges were filed, and the case was sealed.
Records show the alleged shooter’s grandmother told police they were “going to be the next mass murderer and they were collecting ammunition, firearms, bullet-proof body armor and storing them in the basement of the residence”.
Aldrich, who reportedly identifies as non-binary, now faces preliminary charges that include five counts of murder and five counts of committing a bias-motivated crime for Saturday night’s massacre.
Aldrich’s father sparked outrage when he said his first reaction after being told of the mass shooting was to question why his son was at a gay bar.
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ICYMI: Colorado Springs shooting suspect’s father makes scathing statement in response to mass shooting
Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, told CBS 8 he got a call Sunday night from his son’s public defender that he was under arrest for the Colorado Springs mass shooting that left five dead and more than a dozen injured.
He told CBS8 his family was Mormon, adding: “We don’t do gay.”
The father said that even though he holds anti-gay views, there is no excuse for his son to be accused of shooting people at an LGBTQ+ club.
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Mr. Brink said. “It has nothing to do with politics, it’s people’s lives. I am very sorry. My soul goes out to you.”
“Life is so fragile, and so precious,” he said. “Those people’s lives were precious.”
Aldrich’s lawyers said in court documents that the 22-year-old is non-binary and uses the pronouns they/them.
Bevan Hurley has more details from the interview here.
Johanna Chisholm 24 November 2022 14:30
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WATCH: Suspected gunman’s father speaks to local news outlet
The father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich said his first reaction after being told of the attack at Club Q was to question why his son was at an LGBTQ bar.
Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, told CBS 8 he got a call Sunday night from his child’s public defender that he was under arrest for the mass shooting.
“They started telling me about the incident, a shooting involving multiple people,” Mr. Brink said in an interview.
“And then I went to find out it was a gay bar. I said, ‘God, is he gay?’ I was scared, ‘S***, is he gay?’ And he’s not gay, so I said, ‘Phhewww…'”
Watch the full interview with CBS 8 below.
Johanna Chisholm24 November 2022 14:10
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Local breweries in Colorado Springs hold day-long fundraisers for shooting victims and families
More than 20 local breweries in Colorado Springs will pool resources for a day-long fundraiser, with a portion of the tab going toward providing financial support to the victims and survivors of last Saturday’s Club Q mass shooting.
The “Q for Q” fundraiser will pass the day’s sales on to the charity campaign after five people were killed and more than a dozen injured at the popular LGBT+ nightclub.
A Facebook event for the fundraiser, put on by one of the local breweries, The Public House, describes how they are “joining many local establishments for #BrewsForQ this #SmallBusinessSaturday to raise money for the victims and their families”.
The event description added, “From 12-5pm on November 26, $1 from pints poured at both PH locations will be donated to a verified victim fund”.
Johanna Chisholm24 November 2022 13:50
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The motive for the attack is unclear as the investigation continues
Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the Club Q attack that left five dead and at least 18 injured.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of committing those crimes as part of a biased assault.
Prosecutor Michael Allen said the suspect, who appeared in court Wednesday via video with visible injuries to his face and neck, was “physically competent” to stand trial.
His next hearing is scheduled for December 6.
Johanna Chisholm November 24, 2022 at 13:30
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Father of Colorado Springs gunman says he was told Aldrich died years ago
Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, told CBS 8 he got a call Sunday night from his child’s public defender that he was under arrest for the mass shooting.
During that interview with the San Diego-based news outlet, Mr. Brink, 48, said his ex-wife, Laura Voepel, called him in 2016 to tell him that their child, who was born Nicholas Brink, had changed his name and died by suicide.
“His mom told me he changed his name because I was on (reality TV show) Intervention and I was a porn actor,” Mr. Brink told CBS8.
She continued to believe her child was dead until six months ago, when she received a call out of the blue from Aldrich.
According to Mr. Brink’s account, Aldrich was “angry” and wanted to “punch the old man.”
He also said that he taught his son how to fight at an early age and “praised him for his violent behavior”.
“I told him it works. It’s instant and you get immediate results,” Mr. Brink told CBS8.
Johanna Chisholm24 November 2022 13:10
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Who are the victims of club cues?
Here’s what we know so far about the five victims.
Johanna Chisholm 24 November 2022 12:50
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Hero veteran reveals how he tackled a suspect with the help of a trans woman
A former Army captain tackled a shooter who opened fire at an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and beat the suspect unconscious after a trans woman in heels lunged at him.
Richard Fierro, 45, said he was with family and friends at Club Q on Saturday night when the suspect walked in and began spraying the club with an automatic gun.
Mr. Fierro told the New York Times that his military training kicked in and he ran toward the shooter, grabbed him from behind with his body armor and pulled him to the ground.
“I just knew I had to get him down,” Mr. Fierro said.
Johanna Chisholm 24 November 2022 12:30
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Gay club shooting suspect evades Colorado’s red flag gun laws
A year and a half before a shooting at a Colorado Springs gay nightclub killed five people, Anderson Lee Aldrich allegedly threatened his mother with a homemade bomb and forced neighbors to evacuate the neighborhood while bomb squads and crisis negotiators spoke with him. in surrender
Yet despite that scare, there is no record prosecutors ever moved forward with felony kidnapping and intimidation charges against Aldrich, nor did police or relatives try to invoke Colorado’s “red flag” law that allowed authorities to seize weapons and ammunition the man’s mother said was with him. .
Gun control advocates say Aldrich’s June 2021 threat is an example of a red flag law being ignored, with potentially deadly consequences. While it’s unclear whether the law would have prevented Saturday night’s attack — such gun freezes can be effective for as long as 14 days and a judge can extend them in six-month increments — they say it could at least have slowed Aldrich and increased his stature. Profile with law enforcement.
Bernard Condon and Colin Slevin have stories.
Johanna Chisholm 24 November 2022 12:10
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Records say the suspect wanted to ‘go out in flames’
Anderson Lee Aldrich, the suspected shooter who killed five people at a Colorado Springs LGBT+ club over the weekend, previously told his family he wanted to be “the next mass murderer.”
In June 2021, Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary, was arrested for threatening the grandmother, with whom he lived, with a homemade bomb, prompting a heavily armed police tactical team to respond and evacuate nearby homes.
Ultimately, crisis negotiators were able to bring Aldrich in and he was booked into the El Paso County Jail on two counts of criminal threatening and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, according to the sheriff’s office.
Johanna Chisholm 24 November 2022 11:50
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Colorado Springs shooting suspect ‘threatened mother with homemade bomb’ in June 2021
A man of the same name and age was arrested in June 2021 after their mother told officers he was threatening her with a homemade bomb and other weapons.
Prosecutors in Colorado declined to definitively confirm the connection Sunday morning, saying only that the 2021 incident was “all part of the investigation and will be released as appropriate.”
Johanna Chisholm 24 November 2022 11:30