Colorado Springs shooting: Father of suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich ‘glad’ his child ‘isn’t gay’

A screenshot of two images of Aaron Brink, father of Club Q shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich, wearing a white T-shirt

The Colorado Springs shooter’s father has said that he was more concerned his child could be gay rather than the fact he killed five people and injured many others.

Aaron Brink, who according to the Independent is a former porn actor and MMA fighter, said he had heard there was a shooting “involving multiple people” and then found out “it’s a gay bar”.

“I was like ‘oh my god is he gay’ I said ‘s**t I got scared, is he gay’ and he’s not gay so I said, phew.

“I’m a Mormon, I’m a Conservative Republican and we don’t do gay,” Brink spouted.

All five victims have now been named as Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh, and Raymond Green Vance.

In discovering the shooting was at a gay bar the alleged father was more concerned about what his son was doing there: “I don’t know what the heck he’s doing at a gay bar.”

Upon hearing about the death of five people he reiterated “but he’s not gay”.  

“I praised him for violent behaviour really early. I told him it works, it’s instant and you’ll get immediate results.”

shley Paugh, Raymond Green Vance, Derrick Rump, Daniel Aston and Kelly Loving,

The five victims of the Colorado Springs shooting: Ashley Paugh, Raymond Green Vance, Derrick Rump, Daniel Aston and Kelly Loving. (Getty/Twitter)

Tolerance, he admitted, was not anything the alleged shooter was ever taught growing up.

The reported father then aired that he holds “anti-gay” and “antisemitic” views, which he said he has been “very vocal about”. 

He then went on to praise the shooter’s grandad – Republican California assemblyman Randy Voepel, who compared the 6 January attack on the US Capitol to the American revolutionary war.

“It’s not cool to be gay,” he stated. 

Suspected gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, allegedly opened fire inside Club Q in Colorado Springs on Saturday (19 November), the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance. 

He is accused of killing five people and injuring at least 25 others. Aldrich faces murder and hate crime charges in connection to the shooting. 

Since the horrific attack, the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, both locally and globally, have mobilised to provide support to victims, their loved ones, and all others impacted by the shooting. Multiple fundraisers have been set up to support victims.