Detective: Colorado Springs club shooter ran neo-Nazi site

The 22-year-old accused of carrying out the deadly mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs in November ran a neo-Nazi website and used gay and racial slurs while gaming online, a police detective testified Wednesday.

Among the things Anderson Lee Aldrich posted was an image of a rifle scope trained on a gay pride parade and a shooting training video. Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronouns they and them, also used a bigoted slur when referring to someone who was gay, Detective Rebecca Joines testified at the start of a three-day hearing to determine if there's enough evidence to warrant a hate crime charge against Aldrich in the Nov. 19 attack.

Another witness told investigators that Aldrich said their mother, Laura Voepel, is nonbinary and forced them to go to LGBTQ clubs, Joines said.

Unlike the other charges Aldrich faces, including murder and attempted murder, hate crime charges require prosecutors to present evidence of a motive — that Aldrich was driven by bias, either wholly or in part.

The defense countered that Aldrich was not anti-LGBTQ, but was high on multiple drugs, was sleep deprived and came from an abusive family. Joines discussed police calls to the apartment that Aldrich and Laura Voepel shared for Voepel's suicide attempt and overdose.

During one call, Aldrich indicated feeling unsafe in the apartment, Joines acknowledged.

Joines said that while identification scanning technology showed Aldrich had been to the club at least six times before the shooting, there were no fights or disturbances during those visits, which each lasted just a few minutes. The defense even showed a photo that appeared to be a selfie of Aldrich and Voepel smiling at Club Q in August 2021.

On the night of the shooting, according to authorities, Aldrich went to the club, left and then returned. Surveillance video showed Aldrich entering the club wearing a red T-shirt and tan ballistic vest while holding an AR-style rifle, with six magazines for the weapon and a pistol visible, police Detective

Jason Gasper said. Soon after entering, Aldrich allegedly opened fire indiscriminately.

The shooting was stopped when Navy Petty Officer Second Class Thomas James grabbed the barrel of Aldrich's rifle, burning his hand it was so hot, Detective Ashton Gardner said in the most detailed account provided yet.

As panicked patrons fled from the dance floor at Club Q, James tumbled off a landing with Aldrich and struggled with Aldrich over a handgun. Aldrich fired at least once, shooting James in the ribs, Gardner said.

After being shot, it is clear from the video that James was tiring, “but he continues to do what he can to subdue the suspect,” Gardner testified.