Club Q: Alleged shooter faces new charges including murder and bodily injury with a deadly weapon
Alleged Club Q shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich faces twelve more charges following a motion filed by the prosecution. (Colorado Springs Police Department)
Twelve new charges have been filed against the alleged Club Q shooter by prosecutors, bringing the total to 317.
Anderson Lee Aldrich allegedly opened fire in the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ club on 19 November, killing five people and injuring many more.
Prosecutors filed a motion on Monday (9 January) to add further allegations against the defendant in the case, including murder, attempted assault, bodily injury with a deadly weapon, and several more.
Court documents reveal these new charges were filed in reaction to the ongoing investigation into the shooting.
The 305 criminal counts already charged against Aldrich on 6 December 2022 include five counts of first-degree murder and multiple hate crime charges.
Aldrich is expected to make another appearance in court for the hearing set on Friday (13 January).
During the tragic shooting, the shooter opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle, killing Raymond Green Vance, Ashley Paugh, Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, and Derrick Rump, while injuring dozens more.
They were eventually stopped by club patrons who wrestled them to the ground and separated them from their weapon.
It isn’t the first time that authorities became aware of the suspect, who was first arrested on 18 June 2021 for allegedly making bomb threats against family members.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) revealed that Aldrich’s violent tendencies had been reported by a family member a day before his 2021 arrest.
Following the shooting, several of the survivors have begun advocating for gun control laws to help prevent further violence in the US.
Club Q survivors Michael Anderson and James Slaugh were joined by Club Q co-founder Matthew Haynes during an Oversight Committee session on the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech on 14 December.
The three gave testimony during the session, describing how the incident had affected them while urging politicians to “support and protect” the LGBTQ+ community.
“What needs to be done is placing the lives of children and adults above our unhealthy obsession with assault rifles,” Haynes told the committee.
“When I stared down the barrel of that gun, I realised I stood no chance against a weapon of that power.”
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