Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, was identified as the suspect who allegedly killed five people at a Colorado gay club before being apprehended by two revelers.
According to officials, the shooting happened late Saturday at Club Q, an LGBTQ-themed venue that was hosting a drag show and dance party.
According to police, Aldrich, 22, entered the club shortly before midnight and immediately began opening fire while penetrating the venue’s interior, according to a press conference held Sunday morning. He had been injured and was being treated at a nearby hospital.
“At least two brave people inside the club confronted and fought the suspect, preventing him from killing and injuring others.” “We owe them a great deal of gratitude,” Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said.
Police arrived three minutes after receiving a 911 call and apprehended the suspect two minutes later, according to cops.
As they considered hate crime charges against the suspect, who was presumed to be a lone gunman, investigators were looking into Aldrich’s motive.
“Every person, regardless of who they are, has the right to be free from fear and physical harm,” Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said.
The victims’ identities were not immediately released due to family notification, according to police.
“Every person, regardless of who they are, has the right to be free from fear and physical harm,” Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said.
Two firearms were discovered at the scene, and witnesses said Aldrich opened fire with a long rifle.
In addition to Aldrich, eighteen other injured people were being treated at local hospitals on Sunday morning. It was unclear whether they had all been shot or if some had been injured while fleeing to safety.
Police were looking into whether the 22-year-old was the same Anderson Lee Aldrich who was arrested last year on felony menacing and kidnapping charges in connection with a 2021 bomb threat in the city.
The massacre was not the first time a mass shooting occurred in Colorado Springs, a city of nearly 500,000 people located about 70 miles south of Denver.
In 2015, a crazed anti-abortion man opened fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic, killing three people and injuring eight others.
Saturday’s incident also brought back painful memories of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, in which a Muslim man who had frequented gay clubs in the past and expressed contempt for “filthy” LGBTQ members killed 49 people.
“We are a strong community that has demonstrated resilience in the face of hatred and violence in the past, and we will do so again,” said Mayor John Suthers.
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