Colorado shooting suspect faces murder, hate crime charges

The man suspected of killing five people and injuring 25 others at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., is facing murder and hate crimes charges, according to Monday reports.

The 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, who allegedly fired an AR-15-style weapon in the Club Q nightclub, was hit with five murder charges and five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime that caused injury, according to The Associated Press. 

Local authorities haven’t said more about the suspect’s motive, but the attack coincided with Transgender Day of Remembrance and targeted what a bartender said was one of only two gay clubs in the city.

Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers (R) said Monday that the incident “has all the trappings” of a hate crime, and President Biden drew parallels to the anti-LGBTQ Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., in 2016, when 49 people were killed.

Aldrich’s arrest warrant was sealed by a judge in Colorado’s El Paso County to protect the ongoing investigation, according to USA Today.

Police said Sunday that Aldrich was injured in the attack and had been transported to a hospital for treatment.

The charges may change ahead of Aldrich’s first court appearance, according to the Colorado Springs’ The Gazette.

The Hill has reached out to the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office for more.