Colorado Springs mass shooter pleads guilty

Defendant called a ‘monster’ who hunted LGBTQ+ patrons

COLORADO SPRINGS,

Colo. — Victims called the Colorado Springs mass shooter a “monster” who hunted down LGBTQ+ patrons in a calculated attack last year that killed five people, as the suspect faced life in prison after pleading guilty Monday to murder and other charges.

Anderson Lee Aldrich pleaded guilty to five counts of murder and 46 counts of attempted murder. Aldrich also pleaded no contest to two hate crimes, one a felony and the other a misdemeanor.

“This thing sitting in this court room is not a human, it is a monster,” said Jessica Fierro, whose daughter’s boyfriend was killed that night.

The guilty plea comes just seven months after the shooting and spares victim’s families and survivors a long and potentially painful trial.

People in the courtroom wiped away tears as Judge Michael McHenry explained the charges and read out the names of the victims.

The father of a Club Q bartender said Daniel Aston had been in the prime of his life when he was shot and killed. “He was huge light in this world that was snuffed out by a heinous, evil and cowardly act,”

Jeff Aston said. “I will never again hear him laugh at my dad jokes.”

Daniel Aston’s mother, Sabrina, was among those who said they would not forgive the crimes.

Another forgave Aldrich without excusing the crime.

“I forgive this individual, as they are a symbol of a broken system, of hate and vitriol pushed against us as a community,” said Wyatt Kent, Aston’s partner. “This hurt individual will never be able to see the joy and the light that has been wrought into our community as an outcome.”

Aldrich mostly looked down as the victims spoke, glancing sometimes at a screen showing photos of the victims.

“I intentionally and after deliberation caused the death of each victim,” Aldrich told the judge.

The guilty plea follows a series of jailhouse phone calls from Aldrich to The Associated Press expressing remorse and the intention to face the consequences for the shooting.

Several survivors told the AP about the plea agreement after being approached about Aldrich’s comments to AP. They said prosecutors had notified them that Aldrich, who is nonbinary and uses they and them pronouns, would plead guilty to charges that would ensure a sentence of life behind bars.

Aldrich originally was charged with more than 300 state counts, including murder and hate crimes. The U.S. Justice Department is considering pursuing federal hate crime charges, according to a senior law enforcement official familiar with the matter who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing case.

The attack at Club Q came over a year after Aldrich had been arrested for threatening their grandparents and vowing to become “the next mass killer.” But, charges were ultimately dropped in that case.

Victims’ family members and survivors spoke at Monday’s hearing about how their lives were forever altered by the terror that erupted just before midnight on Nov. 19 when the suspect walked into Club Q and indiscriminately fired an AR-15style semiautomatic rifle.