Colorado Springs shooting – live: Nightclub co-owner blames shooting on ‘new type’ of right-wing hate

The co-owner of the Colorado Springs gay nightclub where a shooting killed five people and injured 17 has blamed it on a new type of anti-LGBTQ hate spurred by right-wing activists and politicians.

In his first comments since Saturday night’s attack at Club Q, Nic Grzecka told Associated Press: “Lying about our community, and making them into something they are not, creates a different type of hate.”

A gunman, suspected to be Anderson Lee Aldrich, turned a drag queen’s birth celebration in Colorado Springs into a massacre after he opened fire just before midnight on Saturday with his AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.

Aldrich, 22, who has not entered a plea or spoken about the incident, wanted to be the “next mass killer” and go out “in a blaze”, according to past arrest records.

He is now facing preliminary charges including five counts of murder along with five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury following a mass shooting inside LGBT+ nightclub. The suspect will remain jailed without bond.

Booking photos reveal several bruises and other apparent wounds to the suspect’s face and neck.

Key Points

• Anderson Lee Aldrich seen for first time in court to face murder charges

• Here’s what we know so far about the five victims

• Suspect and mother allegedly used racist slurs against airline passengers during July flight

• Old arrest records suggest Colorado Springs suspect wanted to ‘go out in a blaze’

• Father of suspect more concerned about child being gay than a mass killer

Ex-Trump lawyer says Colorado Springs victims are ‘reaping the consequences of having eternal damnation’

04:00 , Alex Woodward

A former legal adviser to Donald Trump alleged that the five people who were killed inside Club Q gave “no evidence at all that they were Christians” and that they “are now reaping the consequences of having eternal damnation.”

“And that is far, far greater – we should be having that conversation,” she added. “Instead of just the tragedy of what happened to the body, we need to be talking about what happened to the soul and the fact that they are now in eternal separation from our lord and savior Jesus Christ.”

Jenna Ellis’s remarks come as right-wing media commentary and far-right influencers continue to amplify inflammatory anti-gay and anti-trans rhetoric after mass shooting killed five inside LGBT+ nightclub:

Ex-Trump lawyer says Club Q victims face ‘eternal damnation’ after mass shooting

Co-owner of gay nightclub blames shooting on new ‘type of hate’

03:42 , Shweta Sharma

Nic Grzecka, co-owner of the Colorado Springs gay nightclub where a shooter killed five people, has blamed it on right-wing activists and politicians creating a new type of hate.

Speaking to Associated Press in the first comments since Saturday night’s attack at Club Q, Grzecka said the targeting of a drag queen event is connected to the art form being cast in a false light in recent months by right-wing activists and politicians who complain about the “sexualization” or “grooming” of children.

“Lying about our community, and making them into something they are not, creates a different type of hate,” said Grzecka.

Even though general acceptance of the LGBTQ community has grown, this new dynamic has fostered a dangerous climate, he added.

Joe Biden condemns AR-15 purchases and says he is ‘going to try’ to round up votes for assault weapons ban

03:00 , Alex Woodward

Speaking to reporters in Nantucket where Joe Biden is celebrating Thanksgiving with his family, the president said “the idea we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick.”

“Just sick,” he added. “It has no social redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.”

Asked whether his administartion can advance any additional gun reform measures within the next two years, with Republicans holding a slim majority in the House of Representatives and Democrats hold the Senate, the president said his is “going to try.”

“I’m going to try to get rid of assault weapons,” he added. “I’m going to do it whenever – I’ve got to make that assessment as I get in and start counting votes.”

Within the last week, following shootings in Colorado and Virginia, the president has twice called on Congress to renew a federal assault weapons ban, targeting weapons like AR-style rifles that are repeatedly used in mass shooting attacks. The ban expired in 2004.

Revisit his statement in the wake of the Club Q attack:

Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after ‘senseless’ Colorado Springs shooting

‘The terrible hypocrisy of Lauren Boebert’s ‘thoughts and prayers’ after Colorado Springs'

01:00 , Alex Woodward

“In an increasingly hostile atmosphere stoked by divisive politicians, this latest violent attack will sadly not be the last,” Skylar Baker-Jordan writes for Voices:

The hypocrisy of Lauren Boebert’s ‘thoughts and prayers’ after Colorado Springs

Sheriff’s office in county where deadly LGBT+ club shooting took place has never used ‘red flag’ law

00:00 , Alex Woodward

A 2019 bill that allows judges in Colorado to prevent people who pose a “significant risk” to themselves or others passed the state legislature without a single Republican vote in support.

The so-called “red flag” law was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis, marking one of the most significant gun reform measures passed by state lawmakers in the years after a 2012 mass shooting inside a Colorado movie theatre that killed 12 people and injured 70 others.

But the sheriff’s office in the county where a deadly shooting at an LGBT+ club this week left five people dead, officers have not used the law once.

The 2019 law faced overwhelming opposition from not only GOP lawmakers but also sheriff’s offices across the state – including in El Paso County, where five people were fatally shot and 18 others were injured inside a Colorado Springs LGBT+ club on 19 November.

One year earlier, the suspect accused of immediately opening fire into the club that night was arrested on felony menacing and kidnapping charges, which were later dropped.

Not only did the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office not pursue an order to seize firearms from the suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich — the county has never once initiated a seizure.

Sheriff’s office where LGBT+ shooting occurred never used Colorado’s ‘red flag’ law

Colorado Springs mass shooting suspect and mother accused of using racist slurs during July flight

Thursday 24 November 2022 23:00 , Alex Woodward

A suspect accused of killing five people inside a LGBT+ nightclub and the suspect’s mother allegedly used racist slurs towards a Hispanic family and a Black man during a flight to Denver in July.

A cell phone video from an airline passenger obtained by local news outlet KDVR Fox 31 appears to show mass shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich and Aldrich’s mother Laura Voepel during an airport confrontation on 31 July.

Maria Martinez told the outlet that she began filming after Aldrich used a racist slur towards her as they left the plane.

As she continued to film them, a person believed to be Aldrich tells her: “You keep following me and I’m going to f*** you up.”

Club Q shooting suspect and mother allegedly used racist slurs during July flight

Who is Aaron Brink?

Thursday 24 November 2022 22:00 , Alex Woodward

An interview with the father of the suspect accused of killing five people inside a LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs has received significant international attention, after Aaron Brink appeared to express relief that his child is not gay and apologised to the families of the victims.

He was interviewed by a local CBS affiliate days after the attack outside his San Diego home.

Mr Brink said Anderson Lee Aldrich was born in San Diego in 2000 at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women.

Aldrich changed their name following their father’s controversial appearance on the reality TV programme Intervention as well as Mr Brink’s acting career in several adult films.

Mr Brink said he currently works as a mixed martial arts coach; he said he taught his child how to fight.

He also said that he is a Mormon; a spokesperson for the Church of Latter Day Saints recently confirmed that Aldrich also is on the membership rolls.

Mr Brink said he believed his child was dead until he received an unexpected phone call six months ago; they argued over the phone, he said.

“I thought he was dead,” Mr Brink said. “I mourned his loss. I had gone through a meltdown and thought I had lost my son ... His mother told me he changed his name because I was in Intervention and I had been a porno actor.”

An affidavit in Texas days before Aldrich turned 16 years old indicated that they wished to change their name and “protect himself + his future from his birth father + his criminal history. Father has had no contact with minor for several years.”

Aldrich listed as male in booking records and day-of texts from mother refer to suspect as ‘him'

Thursday 24 November 2022 21:30 , Alex Woodward

Defense attorneys for Club Q mass shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich left footnotes in legal filings this week to explain why Aldish is named “Mx. Aldrich” in the document.

The footnotes from the public defenders representing Aldrich claim that the suspect is “non-binary” and uses “they/them pronouns”.

Booking records list Aldrich as male. Text messages from the day of the shooting also show that Aldrich’s mother referred to her child as he and him.

At a news conference outside the courthouse on Wednesday, District Attorney Michael Allen said the suspect’s gender identity would not affect the case or influence whether he seeks hate crimes charges.

“I’m looking at evidence,” he said. “That’s what we look at when we make filing decisions.”

Kristen Prata Browde, a co-chair of the National Trans Bar Association, told The New York Times that a suspect’s gender identity does not have bearing on whether prosecutors can seek such a charge in this case.

“The motive for a crime isn’t dependent on whether you are or are not a member of a protected class,” she said. “It legally has no significance, as far as whether the actions of this individual fit within the law regarding hate crimes.”

‘We don’t do gay’: Colorado Springs attack suspect’s father gives shocking statement in reaction to mass shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 21:00 , Alex Woodward

The father of the Club Q mass shooting suspect said that his first reaction to being informed of the attack was to question why his child was inside a gay bar.

Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, said that he received a call on Sunday night from his child’s public defender to say Aldrich was under arrest for the mass shooting.

“They started telling me about the incident, a shooting involving multiple people,” Mr Brink said in an interview.

“And then I go on to find out it’s a gay bar. I said, ‘God, is he gay?’ I got scared, ‘S***, is he gay?’ And he’s not gay, so I said, ‘Phew.’”

Father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect says he’s relieved child isn’t gay

House lawmakers call on Justice Department to investigate threats to children’s hospitals targeted over gender-affirming care

Thursday 24 November 2022 20:30 , Alex Woodward

Congressmembers Dwight Evans, Ayanna Pressley and Eleanor Holmes Norton issued a letter with roughly 40 House lawmakers calling onthe US Department of Justice to investigate the “wave of threats of violence directed to several children’s hospitals” because of their treatment of transgender and non-binary patients.

Lawmakers called on the agency to counter threats and provide guidance on how to protect hospital staff and patients.

The letter from 36 lawmakers was issued after the mass shooting in Colorado Springs, with LGBT+ advocates pointing to increasing threats of violence and harassment aimed at LGBT+ people in the months leading up to the attack.

It also comes as several children’s hospitals have responded to hoax bomb threats and harassment after they were repeatedly targeted by far-right influencers on social media.

“From the brutal nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs this weekend to the latest bomb threat against Boston Children’s just last week, anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ violence is on the rise and must be taken seriously,” Congresswoman Pressley said in a statement.

“That’s why we’re calling on the DOJ to immediately step up efforts to help keep health care providers, patients and community members safe,” she added.

Colorado Springs shooter’s non-binary claim won’t stop hate crime charges, legal experts say

Thursday 24 November 2022 20:00 , Alex Woodward

Attorney for Aldrich noted in a footnote in a court filing this week at Aldrich uses they/them pronouns and identifies as nonbinary, which critics have accused of being a cynical legal maneuver to avoid hate crime charges, or as a last-minute defense; Aldrich’s family members and former friends have not used those gender pronouns.

Even though the defence has not categorically stated anything about using the suspect’s gender identity, legal experts said including pronouns in Tuesday’s court filing was a “very strategic move aimed at building sympathy to ward off the chances of attracting additional charges”.

The suspect’s gender identity is “not relevant," according to Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers and a former federal prosecutor. "Obviously the defense will want to get it in, but it’s not a defense."

Colorado Springs shooter’s gender identity won’t affect charges, experts say

Club Q survivor speaks out for first time since attack: Suspect hurt ‘a lot of pure, true hearts that I don’t know if they’ll be the same'

Thursday 24 November 2022 19:30 , Alex Woodward

During a press conference at Centura Penrose Cancer Center, Anthony, who survived several gunshot wounds during the mass shooting at Club Q, had a message for the suspect accused of killing five people and injuring 17 others.

“I would probably say, ‘Why don’t you meet somebody and get to know their true heart before passing judgment,’” Anthony told reporters this week. “Because he really did harm a lot of pure, true hearts that I don’t know if they’ll be the same.”

Anthony, who did not want to reveal his last name, was standing near the door of the club when shots rang out, according to Colorado Public Radio.

”I pretty much heard it first along with everybody else that was up by the door. And after that, I don’t know what happened,” Anthony said. “I don’t know anything because I just hid.”

He was shot in several different areas and hi by shrapnel in his rear end and arm.

Suspect and mother allegedly used racist slurs against airline passengers during July flight

Thursday 24 November 2022 19:00 , Alex Woodward

A cell phone video from an airline passenger obtained by local news outlet Fox 31 allegedly shows mass shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich and Aldrich’s mother Laura Voepel during an airport confrontation on 31 July.

The pair allegedly used racist slurs towards a Hispanic family and a Black man during a flight.

The video follows media reports stringing together details about the suspect and family relationships in the weeks and months that preceded the attack.

Lauren Boebert claims ‘the left’ is blaming her for the Club Q shooting because she won her re-election

Thursday 24 November 2022 18:45 , Alex Woodward

After the Club Q mass shooting, critics have accused Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert of amplifying anti-gay and anti-trans rhetoric, invoking similar language that has been blamed for the attack.

She claims that the criticism comes from “the left” who is upset that she won her re-election, “so they’re trying to find something to go after me about.”

“I’ve been accused of just about every mass shooting there has been,” she told OAN’s Real America host Dan Ball. “We’re all sick of this.”

Lauren Boebert condemned for response to Colorado Springs shooting

Biden calls Club Q owners to offer condolences in wake of attack

Thursday 24 November 2022 18:30 , Alex Woodward

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden called the owners of Club Q, Nic Grzecka and Matthew Haynes, “to offer condolences” in the wake of the mass shooting inside the LGBT+ nightclub, according to the White House.

“They reiterated their support for the community as well as their commitment to fighting back against hate and gun violence,” according to a readout of the call. “They also thanked Nic and Matthew for the incredible contributions they have made and will continue to make to Colorado Springs.”

Biden rails against ‘sick’ semi-automatic weapons and unenforced red flag laws on Thanksgiving in Nantucket

Thursday 24 November 2022 18:15 , Alex Woodward

President Joe Biden hs denounced the proliferation of semi-automatic weapons and the fact that some areas of the country did not enforce so-called “red flag laws” meant to prevent people who posed a danger to themselves and others.

The Independent’s Eric Garcia reports:

Biden rails against ‘sick’ semi-automatic weapons and unenforced red flag laws

Ex-Trump lawyer says Colorado Springs victims are ‘reaping the consequences of having eternal damnation’

Thursday 24 November 2022 17:45 , Alex Woodward

Right-wing media personalities and far-right figures have doubled down on anti-LGBT+ rhetoric in the wake of a mass shooting inside a Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub that left five dead and at least 18 others injured.

Jenna Ellis, a former attorney for Donald Trump, condemned what she characterised as “the left’s narrative” about the shooting that points blame at Christians who “hate homosexual and transgender individuals” and “somehow that ‘hate’ led to the shooting.”

Yet within the same Tuesday broadcast of her The Jenna Ellis Show, she alleges that the five people who were killed inside Club Q gave “no evidence at all that they were Christians” and that they “are now reaping the consequences of having eternal damnation.”

Her remarks added to a chorus of right-wing media commentary and far-right influencers who have amplified inflammatory anti-gay and anti-trans rhetoric even after the mass shooting, echoing a wave of politicised harassment aimed at LGBT+ people in the weeks and months that preceded it.

Ex-Trump lawyer says Club Q victims face ‘eternal damnation’ after mass shooting

Colorado Springs councilman suggests mayoral candidates should propose assault weapons ban

Thursday 24 November 2022 17:15 , Alex Woodward

Colorado Springs City Councilman Bill Murray challenged two other councilors to discuss implementing a citywide assault weapons ban in the wake of the mass shooting that killed five people and injured 18 others in a LGBT+ nightclub on Saturday night.

“It might be a good thing for the two mayoral candidates here to actually discuss banning assault weapons in the city,” said Mr Murray, aiming at Tom Strand and Wayne Williams – among seven candidates running for mayor in the upcoming race.

His remarks followed a city council hearing during which residents and community leaders “expressed anger, frustration, gratitude and pleas for action” in the aftermath of the attack, according to Colorado Public Radio.

Biden calls AR-style rifle purchases ‘sick’ with ‘no social redeeming value'

Thursday 24 November 2022 16:45 , Alex Woodward

Speaking to reporters in Nantucket where President Biden is celebrating Thanksgiving with his family, the president said “the idea we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick.”

“Just sick,” he added. “It has no social redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.”

Asked whether his administartion can advance any additional gun reform measures within the next two years, with Republicans holding a slim majority in the House of Representatives and Democrats hold the Senate, the president said his is “going to try.”

“I’m going to try to get rid of assault weapons,” he added. “I’m going to do it whenever – I’ve got to make that assessment as I get in and start counting votes.”

Within the last week, following shootings in Colorado and Virginia, the president has twice called on Congress to renew a federal assault weapons ban, targeting weapons like AR-style rifles that are repeatedly used in mass shooting attacks. The ban expired in 2004.

ICYMI: Old arrest records suggest Colorado Springs suspect wanted to ‘go out in a blaze’

Thursday 24 November 2022 16:30 , Alex Woodward

Anderson Lee Aldrich previously told family members that they wanted to be the “next mass killer,” Colorado’s KKTV reports.

In June of 2021, Aldrich – whose attorneys indicated in a new court filing that the Club Q mass shooting suspect identifies as nonbinary –was arrested for threatening the grandmother, with whom they lived, with a homemade bomb, prompting a heavily armed police tactical team to respond and evacuate surrounding homes.

Eventually, crisis negotiators were able to intervene,

Arrest records suggest Colorado Springs suspect wanted to ‘go out in a blaze’

Mass shooting follows wave of anti-gay attacks across US

Thursday 24 November 2022 15:46 , Alex Woodward

A recent report from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) found 124 incidents of anti-LGBT+ protests and threats in 47 targeting drag events so far this year.

The majority of those incidents occurred during Pride events in June and into September, October and November.

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO GLAAD, criticised right-wing media for the ongoing demonization of LGBT+ people in right-wing media.

“No one is holding them accountable for all of the misinformation they’re spreading, but then we need to prove we’re not what they say we are,” she told NBC News.

A separate report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino found that reports of hate crimes against LGBT+ people in major cities increased by 51 per cent in 2021.

Anderson Lee Aldrich sent mother chilling message hours before Colorado Springs shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 15:30 , Alex Woodward

Less than a day before Anderson Lee Aldrich allegedly opened fire inside a LGBT+ nightclub, the suspect’s mother reportedly posted a chilling message n Facebook.

Laura Voepel, the mother of the 22-year-old mass shooting suspect, allegedly wrote “my son is missing” and “took my phone and my debit card”.

Accused Colorado Club Shooter Makes First Court Appearance

Mugshot shows Colorado Springs suspect Anderson Aldrich with face and neck wounds

Thursday 24 November 2022 15:20 , Alex Woodward

Booking photos of Anderson Lee Aldrich from the Coloroado Springs Police Department reveal numerous apparent wounds to the suspect’s face and neck.

Mugshot shows Colorado Springs suspect with face and neck wounds

‘Why the hell can’t America end this deadly gun violence?'

Thursday 24 November 2022 15:00 , Alex Woodward

There are 400 million firearms in US and they being used to kill people at a rate not seen in any other nation in the world, The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe writes:

Why the hell can’t America end this deadly gun violence?

ICYMI: Colorado Springs attack suspect’s father gives shocking statement in reaction to mass shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 14:30 , Johanna Chisholm

Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, told CBS8 he received a call on Sunday night from his child’s public defender to say he was under arrest for the Colorado Springs mass shooting that left five people dead and more than a dozen injured.

He told the CBS8 his family were Mormon, adding: “We don’t do gay.”

The father said that while he holds anti-gay views, there’s no excuse for his child allegedly shooting people in an LGTBQ+ club.

“I’m so sorry guys for your loss,” Mr Brink said. “With no regard to politics, it’s human life. I’m so sorry. My soul goes out to you.”

“Life is so fragile, and it’s valuable,” he said. “Those people’s lives were valuable.”

Aldrich’s lawyers have said in court documents that the 22-year-old is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

Bevan Hurley has more details from the interview here.

Father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect says he’s relieved child isn’t gay

Watch: Suspected gunman’s father speaks out to local news outlet

Thursday 24 November 2022 14:10 , Johanna Chisholm

The father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich says his first reaction to being informed of the attack at Club Q was to question why his child was at an LGBTQ bar.

Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, told CBS8 he received a call on Sunday night from his child’s public defender to say he was under arrest for the mass shooting.

“They started telling me about the incident, a shooting involving multiple people,” Mr Brink said in an interview.

“And then I go on to find out it’s a gay bar. I said, ‘God, is he gay?’ I got scared, ‘S***, is he gay?’ And he’s not gay, so I said, ‘Phhhewww…’”

Watch the full interview with CBS 8 below.

Local breweries in Colorado Springs create day-long fundraiser for shooting victims and families

Thursday 24 November 2022 13:50 , Johanna Chisholm

More than 20 local breweries in Colorado Springs will be pooling resources for a day-long fundraiser, with a portion of tabs going towards providing financial support for the victims and survivors of the Club Q mass shooting last Saturday.

The “Brews for Q” fundraiser will pass on the day’s sales to charity campaigns set up after the attack that left five dead and more than a dozen injured at the popular LGBT+ nightclub.

A Facebook event for the fundraiser, put on by one of the local breweries, The Public House, describes how they are “joining many local establishments for #BrewsForQ this #SmallBusinessSaturday to raise money for the victims and their families”.

“From 12-5 pm on November 26, $1 from pints poured at both PH locations will be donated to a verified victim fund,” the event description adds.

Motive in attack remains unclear as investigation continues

Thursday 24 November 2022 13:30 , Johanna Chisholm

The motive behind the Club Q attack that left five people dead and at least another 18 injured is still under investigation by authorities.

Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of committing those crimes as part of a bias attack.

Prosecutor Michael Allen said that the suspect, who appeared in court on Wednesday via video with visible injuries to his face and neck, was “physically competent” to stand trial.

His next hearing is scheduled 6 December.

Father of Colorado Springs suspected shooter said he was told Aldrich died years ago

Thursday 24 November 2022 13:10 , Johanna Chisholm

Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, told CBS8 he received a call on Sunday night from his child’s public defender to say he was under arrest for the mass shooting.

During the course of that interview with the San Diego-based news outlet, Mr Brink, 48, said that his ex-wife Laura Voepel called him in 2016 to say that their child, who was born Nicholas Brink, had changed their name and died by suicide.

“His mother told me he changed his name because I was in (reality tv show) Intervention and I had been a porno actor,” Mr Brink told CBS8.

He had continued to believe that his child was dead until six months ago, when he got a call out of the blue from Aldrich.

According to Mr Brink’s account, Aldrich was “pissed off” and wanted to “poke at the old man”.

He went on to say he taught his child how to fight at a young age and “praised him for violent behaviour”.

“I told him it works. It is instant and you’ll get immediate results,” Mr Brink told CBS8.

Who are the victims of the Club Q shooting?

Thursday 24 November 2022 12:50 , Johanna Chisholm

Here’s what we know so far about the five people who were killed.

Who were the people killed in the Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub shooting?

Hero veteran reveals how he tackled suspect with help from trans woman

Thursday 24 November 2022 12:30 , Johanna Chisholm

A former Army captain tackled a shooter who had opened fire on an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and beat the suspect unconscious as a trans woman in heels stomped on him.

Richard Fierro, 45, said he was with family and friends at Club Q on Saturday night when the suspect burst in and began spraying the club with automatic gunfire.

Mr Fierro told the New York Times his military training kicked in and he ran towards the shooter, grabbed him from behind by his body armour and pulled him to the ground.

“I just knew I had to take him down,” Mr Fierro said.

Bevan Hurley has more.

Hero reveals how he tackled Colorado Springs gunman with help from trans woman

Gay club shooting suspect evaded Colorado's red flag gun law

Thursday 24 November 2022 12:10 , Johanna Chisholm

A year and a half before he was arrested in the Colorado Springs gay nightclub shooting that left five people dead, Anderson Lee Aldrich allegedly threatened his mother with a homemade bomb, forcing neighbors in surrounding homes to evacuate while the bomb squad and crisis negotiators talked him into surrendering.

Yet despite that scare, there’s no record prosecutors ever moved forward with felony kidnapping and menacing charges against Aldrich, or that police or relatives tried to trigger Colorado’s “red flag” law that would have allowed authorities to seize the weapons and ammo the man’s mother says he had with him.

Gun control advocates say Aldrich’s June 2021 threat is a example of a red flag law ignored, with potentially deadly consequences. While it’s not clear the law could have prevented Saturday night’s attack — such gun seizures can be in effect for as little as 14 days and be extended by a judge in six-month increments — they say it could have at least slowed Aldrich and raised his profile with law enforcement.

Bernard Condon and Colleen Slevin have the story.

Gay club shooting suspect evaded Colorado's red flag gun law

Records suggest suspect wanted to ‘go out in a blaze’

Thursday 24 November 2022 11:50 , Johanna Chisholm

Anderson Lee Aldrich, the suspected shooter who killed five people in a Colorado Springs LGBT+ club over the weekend, previously told their family they wanted to be the “next mass killer”.

In June of 2021, Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary, was arrested for threatening the grandmother, with whom they lived, with a homemade bomb, prompting a heavily armed police tactical team to respond and evacuate surrounding homes.

Eventually, crisis negotiators were able to bring Aldrich in, and they were booked into El Paso County Jail on two counts of felony menacing and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, according to the sheriff’s office.

Josh Marcus has more.

Arrest records suggest Colorado Springs suspect wanted to ‘go out in a blaze’

Colorado Springs shooting suspect had ‘threatened mother with home-made bomb’ in June 2021

Thursday 24 November 2022 11:30 , Johanna Chisholm

The individual suspected of killing five people at an LGBT+ nightclub on Colorado Springs on Saturday night appears to have been previously arrested for making bomb threats, according to police records.

Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, was named by police on Sunday morning as a suspect in the deadly massacre, which sent patrons and staff racing for shelter and caused at least 25 people to be injured.

A person with the same name and age was arrested in June 2021 after their mother told officers that he was threatening her with a homemade bomb and other weapons.

Colorado prosecutors declined to explicitly confirm the connection on Sunday morning, saying only that the incident in 2021 was “all part of the investigation and will be released as appropriate”.

Io Dodds has more.

Colorado Springs shooting suspect had ‘threatened mother with home-made bomb’ in 2021

Father with anti-gay views says ‘no excuse for child’s shooting'

Thursday 24 November 2022 11:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The father of shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich said while he holds anti-gay views, there’s no excuse for his child allegedly shooting people in an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs.

“I’m so sorry guys for your loss,” Aaron Brink, 48, said. “With no regard to politics, it’s human life. I’m so sorry. My soul goes out to you.”

“Life is so fragile, and it’s valuable,” he said. “Those people’s lives were valuable.”

Mike Pence backed away from anti-LGBT figures before five killed in Colorado shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 10:48 , Josh Marcus

Former vice president Mike Pence appeared to take a step back from his party’s hard-right wing stand in an interview that was taped just days before the deadly attack at a gay nightclub that has been blamed on a rising tide of anti-LGBT hate.

Mr Pence was interviewed by Margaret Brennan on CBS’s Face the Nation this past week; his remarks were broadcast on Sunday.

During the interview, he was asked about the legislation which was passed by the US Senate this week, seeking to protect the rights of same-sex marriages at the federal level. Unlike other conservatives in his party, Mr Pence seemed to back away from the rhetoric that has been embraced by many far-right commentators such as Matt Walsh, Chris Rufo, and Tucker Carlson seeking to link LGBT Americans to pedophilia.

The free-flowing accusations of “grooming” against gay Americans that have emerged from this wing of the GOP has been blamed for a new wave of violence and discrimination against LGBT communities both online and in the real world.

John Bowden has the details.

Mike Pence backed away from anti-LGBT figures before five killed in Colorado shooting

Tucker Carlson slammed for dismissing anti-LGBT+ motive in shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 10:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Fox News host Tucker Carlson has come under fire for dismissing the likelihood that anti-LGBT+ hate was behind the mass shooting at a Colorado Springs gay club where five persons were killed and another 18 sustained injuries.

In the wake of the mass shooting, the right-wing news presenter brushed off the suspect's motive, suggesting that Aldrich was "clearly a troubled person".

"So the most obvious question is why did he shoot 30 people? The truth is we don’t know," he said during The Tucker Carlson Tonight show.

"We do know he was clearly a troubled person," Mr Carlson said, adding that the suspect was arrested in 2021 for threatening his mother with a homemade bomb.

Read more here.

Tucker Carlson slammed for dismissing anti-LGBT+ motive in Colorado Springs shooting

AOC eviscerates Lauren Boebert for ‘thoughts and prayers’ response to Colorado Springs mass shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 09:40 , Josh Marcus

Democrat representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tore into conservative Republican Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert for her statement showing concern for the victims of a mass shooting at an LGBT+ nightclub.

At least five people were killed and 25 others sustained injuries after a 22-year-old wearing body armour stormed inside Club Q in Colorado Springs and opened fire before being subdued by “heroic” patrons.

Following the Saturday midnight shooting, Ms Boebert tweeted that the “news out of Colorado Springs is absolutely awful”.

“This morning the victims and their families are in my prayers. This lawless violence needs to end and end quickly,” she added.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the story.

AOC eviscerates Lauren Boebert for ‘thoughts and prayers’ tweet on Colorado shooting

Why the hell can’t America end this deadly gun violence?

Thursday 24 November 2022 09:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

How are you supposed to feel when a man walks into an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and opens fire, killing five and injuring 20 others?

Horror, for sure, and admiration for the persons who confronted the alleged shooter before he destroyed even more lives.

The same goes for when you wake to news that six people are dead in a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, after an employee opened fire late at night, grievously injuring half-a-dozen others, before turning the weapon on himself.

But alongside the sympathy for the victims, are two other emotions that bubble up and will not go away. And they are anger and outrage, writes Andrew Buncombe.

Why the hell can’t America end this deadly gun violence?

‘Master of Silly Business’ among 5 dead in Colorado shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 08:48 , Josh Marcus

On a typical night at the Club Q, a bastion for LGBTQ people in the largely conservative city of Colorado Springs, Daniel Aston could be seen letting loose and sliding across the stage on his knees tailed by his mullet to whoops and hollers.

The venue provided Aston, a 28-year-old transgender man and the self-proclaimed “Master of Silly Business,” with the liberating performances he had long sought. But on Saturday it became the site of the latest mass shooting in the U.S. when a gunman with an semiautomatic rifle opened fire and killed Aston and four others. Twenty-five others were injured.

Jess Bedayn has the story.

‘Master of Silly Business’ among 5 dead in Colorado shooting

Shooting suspect held sans bail

Thursday 24 November 2022 08:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The suspected gunman facing possible hate crime charges in the fatal shooting of five people at a Colorado Springs gay nightclub has been ordered to be held without bail.

In an initial court appearance yesterday the suspect sat slumped over in a chair with injuries visible on their face and head.

Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, who identifies as non-binary, appeared to need prompting by defence lawyers during a brief video appearance from jail.

Aldrich offered a slurred response when asked to state their name by El Paso County Court Judge Charlotte Ankeny.

The suspect was beaten into submission by patrons during the shooting at Club Q and released from hospital on Tuesday.

The motive in the shooting was still under investigation, but authorities said Aldrich faces possible murder and hate crime charges.

Mothers, friends, performers among dead at Colorado gay club

Thursday 24 November 2022 07:40 , Josh Marcus

A loving boyfriend. A 28-year-old bartender who loved to perform. A mother visiting from a small town who enjoyed hunting. These are among the victims of the rampage at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs that left five people dead and 17 others with gunshot wounds.

Club regulars and newcomers — gay and straight, transgender and cisgender — flocked to Club Q over the weekend to dance, enjoy a comedy show or work behind the bar. What began as a typical Saturday evening of dancing and drinking at the preeminent LGBTQ establishment in the conservative-leaning Colorado city south of Denver ended in tragedy when a gunman entered and began spraying bullets before they were tackled and subdued.

More details in our full story.

Mothers, friends, performers among dead at Colorado gay club

Eleven wounded still at hospital

Thursday 24 November 2022 07:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Of the 17 people injured by gunshots in Saturday’s attack, 11 remained in the hospital as of yesterday night, officials said.

At least five people were killed when 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich stormed inside an LGBT+ nightclub and opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle.

The suspect was taken down by an Army veteran named Richard Fierro with the help of fellow patrons.

How did the Colorado Springs gunman get his firearms despite the state’s ‘red flag’ law?

Thursday 24 November 2022 06:40 , Josh Marcus

In June 2021, Anderson Lee Aldrich walked out of the front door of a house in Colorado Springs with their hands in the air after a stand-off with police.

Authorities arrested them for felony menacing and first degree kidnapping after their mother alleged that they had threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons.

Seventeen months later, Mr Aldrich, 22, is in police custody on suspicion of killing five people at an LGBT+ nightclub called Club Q.

What’s more, media reports suggest that the weapons wielded during the attack – a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun – were purchased legally.

Io Dodds has more.

How did the Colorado Springs gunman get his firearms despite ‘red flag’ law?

Mugshot shows suspect with face and neck wounds

Thursday 24 November 2022 06:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Police released the booking photos of Anderson Lee Aldrich, who is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding numerous others in a Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub over the weekend.

The photos show Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary, with numerous apparent wounds to the face and neck.

According to clubgoers, multiple patrons at Club Q tackled the 22-year-old and managed to wrestle away the AR-style rifle they were carrying.

Josh Marcus has more.

Mugshot shows Colorado Springs suspect with face and neck wounds

Marjorie Taylor Greene criticised for response to Colorado shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 05:40 , Josh Marcus

Marjorie Taylor Greene was back causing controversy this week after she chose her response to the mass shooting at an LGBT club in Colorado as a means for attacking Joe Biden on unrelated issues.

Ms Greene’s two-tweet thread addressing the attack that saw five killed and more than a dozen wounded surprised few; the tweets did not address the significance of the target nor the wave of hate that right-wing political figures have directed at LGBT people and transgender Americans in particular over the past few years.

“Tragically, 300 Americans die of fentanyl poisoning everyday in America and Biden says and does nothing. Tragically, 5 people were killed in a shooting in Colorado and Biden immediately demands a ban on assault weapons,” she wrote.

She added: “The solutions are this: 1. Secure the border and stop the drugs. 2. Defend our right to keep and bear arms so that people can defend themselves from killers who could care less about laws.“

John Bowden has the story.

Marjorie Taylor Greene criticised for response to Colorado shooting

Shooter showed ‘no hesitation’, says witness

Thursday 24 November 2022 05:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Deanne VanScyoc said she dropped to the floor behind a pool table at Club Q and called 911 as the first shots rang out just before midnight, hitting people at the bar who had been drinking and chatting.

Ms VanScyoc was facing the entrance from behind a glass wall when the shooter came in, she said.

The shooter turned right and fired a single shot toward the bar, then three more in rapid succession, then a flurry of shots.“There was no hesitation,” Ms VanScyoc told The Associated Press in an interview.

Read more here.

Witness: shooter at gay club showed 'no hesitation'

Remembering the victims of the Colorado shooting

Thursday 24 November 2022 04:40 , Josh Marcus

Hundreds of people, many holding candles and wiping away tears, gathered Monday night in a Colorado Springs park to honor those killed and wounded when a gunman opened fire on a nightlife venue that for decades was a sanctuary for the local LGBTQ community.

The vigil came as the 22-year-old suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, remained hospitalized after Saturday night’s attack in which five people were killed and another 17 suffered gunshot wounds before patrons tackled and beat the suspect into submission. Aldrich faces five murder charges and five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury, online court records showed.

More details in our full report.

Rage and sadness as Colorado club shooting victims honored

Colorado suspect Anderson Aldrich has MAGA ties

Thursday 24 November 2022 03:40 , Josh Marcus

The 22-year-old accused of murdering five and wounding dozens more in a mass shooting in a Colorado gay nightclub is the grandson of a GOP lawmaker who celebrated the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Suspected gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, allegedly opened fire inside Club Q in Colorado Springs just before midnight on Saturday night.

Bartenders Daniel Aston and Derrick Rump as well as patron Kelly Loving were among the five victims killed in the attack. Another 25 people were injured, including 19 who suffered gunshot wounds.

The mass shooting came to an end thanks to the bravery of at least one clubgoer, who tackled the gunman to the ground and detained them until law enforcement arrived on the scene.

Rachel Sharp has the story.

Colorado shooting suspect is grandson of GOP lawmaker who celebrated January 6 riot

What are survivors of the Club Q shooting saying?

Thursday 24 November 2022 02:40 , Josh Marcus

Ed Sanders was just opening up a tab at Club Q’s bar when the shooting started.

The 63-year-old said he had been waiting in line at the bar, and made his way up to the front and gave the bartender his credit card when he was hit in the back — right between the shoulder blades. Surprised and shocked, he turned to look at the gunman, only to be hit again in the thigh as another volley of shots were fired.

“I fell. And everybody fell,” Sanders said in video statements released Tuesday by UCHealth Memorial Hospital Center. “It was very traumatic. I shielded another woman with my coat … there was a lot of chaos.”

Amy Forliti has the full story.

Colorado club shooting survivor: 'I want to be resilient'

Old arrest records suggest Colorado Springs suspect wanted to ‘go out in a blaze’

Thursday 24 November 2022 02:10 , Josh Marcus

Anderson Lee Aldrich, the alleged shooter who killed five people in a Colorado Springs LGTBQ+ club over the weekend, previously told their family they wanted to be the “next mass killer,” Colorado’s KKTV reports.

In June of 2021, Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary, was arrested for threatening the grandmother, with whom they lived, with a homemade bomb, prompting a heavily armed police tactical team to respond and evacuate surrounding homes.

Eventually, crisis negotiators were able to bring Aldrich in, and they were booked into El Paso County Jail on on two counts of felony menacing and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, according to the sheriff’s office.

Read our full report.

Arrest records suggest Colorado Springs suspect wanted to ‘go out in a blaze’

Mugshot shows Colorado Springs suspect Anderson Aldrich with face and neck wounds

Thursday 24 November 2022 01:55 , Josh Marcus

Police on Wednesday released the booking photos of Anderson Lee Aldrich, who is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding numerous others in a Colorado Springs LGTBQ+ nightclub over the weekend.

The photos show Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary, with numerous apparent wounds to the face and neck.

According to clubgoers, multiple patrons at Club Q tackled the 22-year-old and managed to wrestle away the AR-style rifle they were carrying.

More details in our full story.

Anderson Aldrich defence announces they are nonbinary

Thursday 24 November 2022 01:43 , Josh Marcus

The alleged gunman facing possible hate crime charges in the fatal shooting of five people at a Colorado Springs gay nightclub is nonbinary, the suspect’s defense team says in court filings.

In several standard motions filed on behalf of Anderson Lee Aldrich on Tuesday, public defenders refer to the suspect as “Mx. Aldrich,” noting in footnotes that Aldrich, 22, is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. The motions deal with issues like unsealing documents and evidence gathering, not Aldrich’s identity and there was no elaboration about it.

Aldrich, who was beaten into submission by patrons during Saturday night’s shooting at Club Q, appeared in court for the first time Wednesday by video from jail. The motive in the shooting was still under investigation, but authorities said Aldrich faces possible murder and hate crime charges.

Get all the details in our full story.

Father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect apologises: ‘Life is so fragile'

Thursday 24 November 2022 00:45 , Josh Marcus

Aaron Brink, father of Colorado Springs mass shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich, is avowedly anti-gay, but apologised nonetheless for the alleged crimes of his child.

“I’m so sorry guys for your loss,” Mr Brink said. “With no regard to politics, it’s human life. I’m so sorry. My soul goes out to you.”

“Life is so fragile, and it’s valuable,” he said. “Those people’s lives were valuable.”

Bevan Hurley has more on what Aldrich’s father said.

Father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect says he’s relieved child isn’t gay

Photos: Booking picture shows Colorado suspect with extensive facial injuries

Thursday 24 November 2022 00:22 , Josh Marcus

The Colorado Springs Police Department has released booking photos of mass shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich.

In the photos, Aldrich can be seen with apparent wounds to the face and neck, likely a result of clubgoers tackling the alleged shooter during the attack.

Army veteran gives emotional account of tackling gunman at Club Q

Colorado Springs shooting part of nationwide trend of threats against LGTBQ+ community: report

Thursday 24 November 2022 00:02 , Josh Marcus

The weekend massacre at a gay club in Colorado over the weekend is part of a larger pattern of threats against LGBTQ+ people taking place across the country.

According to advocacy group GLAAD, there have been at least 124 protests as well as a significant number of threats against drag events in the US in 2022.

The Colorado Springs shooting, which left five dead, occured during a drag show.

How Club Q patrons stopped the Colorado Springs shooter

Wednesday 23 November 2022 23:42 , Josh Marcus

Richard Fierro, the former US Army major who tackled a gunman to the ground who had opened fire on an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and beat him unconscious, has given an emotional account of his bravery on CNN.

Speaking to John Berman on the network on Monday night, Mr Fierro described what happened when the shooter began firing in Club Q on Saturday night.

He recognised that the shooter, 22-year-old Anderson Aldrich, was wearing a flak vest which has a handle on it and ran across the room, grabbed it, and pulled him to the floor.

Another person helped Mr Fierro bring Mr Aldrich to the ground and he told them to push the AR-15 rifle away.

Oliver O’Connell and Beavn Hurley have more.

Army veteran gives emotional account of tackling gunman at Club Q

The Colorado shooter’s strange tie to January 6

Wednesday 23 November 2022 23:22 , Josh Marcus

The 22-year-old man accused of murdering five and wounding dozens more in a mass shooting in a Colorado gay nightclub is the grandson of a GOP lawmaker who celebrated the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Suspected gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, allegedly opened fire inside Club Q in Colorado Springs just before midnight on Saturday night.

Bartenders Daniel Aston and Derrick Rump as well as patron Kelly Loving were among the five victims killed in the attack. Another 25 people were injured, including 19 who suffered gunshot wounds.

The mass shooting came to an end thanks to the bravery of at least one clubgoer, who tackled the gunman to the ground and detained him until law enforcement arrived on the scene.

Rachel Sharp has the full story.

Colorado shooting suspect is grandson of GOP lawmaker who celebrated January 6 riot

WATCH: Survivors describe experiences of Colorado Springs shooting

Wednesday 23 November 2022 23:02 , Josh Marcus

In addition to the five people who were killed, at least 19 people were injured in the shooting at an LGTBQ+ bar in Colorado Springs over the weekend, as well as the numerous others who were traumatised by the massacre.

The AP has this video collecting some of their experiences and recollections of what happend.

Colorado club shooting survivor: 'I want to be resilient'

Wednesday 23 November 2022 22:42 , Josh Marcus

Ed Sanders was just opening up a tab at Club Q’s bar when the shooting started.

The 63-year-old said he had been waiting in line at the bar, and made his way up to the front and gave the bartender his credit card when he was hit in the back — right between the shoulder blades. Surprised and shocked, he turned to look at the gunman, only to be hit again in the thigh as another volley of shots were fired.

“I fell. And everybody fell,” Sanders said in video statements released Tuesday by UCHealth Memorial Hospital Center. “It was very traumatic. I shielded another woman with my coat … there was a lot of chaos.”

Amy Forliti has the details.

Colorado club shooting survivor: 'I want to be resilient'

Father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect more concerned about child being gay than a mass killer

Wednesday 23 November 2022 22:18 , Josh Marcus

The father of Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich says his first reaction to being informed of the attack at Club Q was to question why his son was at an LGBTQ bar.

Aaron Brink, a former porn actor and MMA fighter, told CBS8 his family is Mormon.

Bevan Hurley is following the latest details.

There have been four mass shootings since Colorado Springs

Wednesday 23 November 2022 22:02 , Josh Marcus

Mass shootings continue to occur with shocking regularity in America after the Colorado Springs massacre.

As Igor Volsky of Guns Down America notes, there have been four mass killings since the attack at Club Q.

Who are the victims of the Colorado Springs shooting?

Wednesday 23 November 2022 21:42 , Josh Marcus

The five victims who lost their lives in a mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub have been identified.

A gunman burst into Club Q and opened fire just before midnight on Saturday, opening fire with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.

The suspect — identified by police as Anderson Aldrich, 22, allegedly shot five people; two bartenders, a mother-of-one on a night out, a transgender woman and a local man celebrating a friend’s birthday.

Police initially said 25 were wounded in the attack, but revised the figure down to 18 on Monday. Many suffered horrendous injuries and face a lengthy recovery.

Mr Aldrich has been arrested on suspicion of five counts of first-degree murder, and five counts of hate crime causing bodily injuries. He is expected to face further charges.

The shooting sparked renewed calls for stricter gun laws and mourning throughout the LGBT+ community, which has been warning since the start of this year that increasingly violent political rhetoric about LGBT+ people could lead to deaths.

Here is what we know so far about the five victims of the Colorado Springs shooting.

Io Dodds has the story.

Who were the people killed in the Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub shooting?

‘Where are we going to go?’ Club Q survivor shares horror of attack on safe space for LGTBQ+ people

Wednesday 23 November 2022 21:22 , Josh Marcus

The mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGTBQ+ club over the weekend was particularly horrifying because it struck one of the few safe spaces for queer people in the city, known more for its military bases and Republican politics than as a haven for diverse identities.

As one survivor of the massacre, Joshua, told local news, he was shaken trying to figure out what to do next.

“This was our only safe space in Colorado Springs,” he said. “Where are we going to go?”

Watch his full remarks, via KRDO.

Far right attacks hero veteran who disarmed Club Q shooter

Wednesday 23 November 2022 21:00 , Josh Marcus

Right-wing internet users are attacking Richard Fierro, the Army veteran who helped tackle and disarm the individual who shot five people and injured numerous others at an LGTBQ+ club in Colorado Springs over the weekend.

According to an investigation from VICE News and researchers at Advance Democracy, Inc., extremists online are questioning Mr Fierro’s story, and accusing him of being a “groomer” and a “f*ggot.”

“Are we just not supposed to talk about the US Army Major taking his family down to the local drag club for a night out?” read one comment from infamous Pizzagate conspiracist Jack Posobiec.

Right-wing host blames victims for Colorado Springs shooting

Wednesday 23 November 2022 20:40 , Josh Marcus

Matt Walsh, the right-wing host of the video show The Matt Walsh Show, blamed the victims of the Colorado Springs massacre for the shooting, which killed five and injured numerous others in a suspected hate attack.

Mr Walsh, in a segment on Tuesday, argued that queer people shouldn’t engage in activities like drag because of violent people who might attack them for doing so, Media Matters reports.

“If it’s causing this much chaos and violence, why do you insist on continuing to do it?” he said. “

“If according to you, it’s like putting people’s lives at risk, if the effort to have men cross-dress in front of children is putting people’s lives at risk, why are you still doing it? Is it that important to you?” he added.

Critics argue that conservative attacks on LGTBQ+ people are encouraging the sort of violence seen in Colorado Springs.

AOC eviscerates Lauren Boebert for ‘thoughts and prayers’ tweet on Colorado shooting

Old arrest papers show Colorado Springs shooting suspect wanted to be ‘next mass killer'

Wednesday 23 November 2022 20:20 , Josh Marcus

Anderson Lee Aldrich, the alleged shooter who killed five people in a Colorado Springs LGTBQ+ club over the weekend, previously told their family they wanted to be the “next mass killer,” Colorado’s KKTV reports.

In June of 2021, Aldrich was arrested for threatening their grandmother with a homemade bomb.

According to arrest records in the case uncovered by KKTV, investigators said they believed Aldrich told family members they wanted to carry out a mass shooting and “go out in a blaze.”

Nonetheless, Aldrich then was able to legally buy guns despite Colorado’s gun laws, weapons allegedly used in the Club Q massacre.

How did the Colorado Springs gunman get his firearms despite ‘red flag’ law?

Brewery run by man who disarmed Colorado Springs shooter sees spike in support

Wednesday 23 November 2022 20:00 , Josh Marcus

Richard Fierro, the clubgoer who helped disarm alleged Colorado Springs mass shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich, is seeing a spike in support for Atrevida Beer Co., the brewery he owns with his wife.

Figures including celebrity chef José Andrés and Meena Harris, the niece of vice-president Kamala Harris, have praised Mr Fierro’s heroism and urged people to support his business.

Details of alleged Colorado Springs shooter’s troubled past obscured by name change

Wednesday 23 November 2022 19:43 , Josh Marcus

At age 15, alleged Colorado Springs shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich petitioned a Texas court for a name change from their birth name, Nicholas F Brink, the Washington Post reports.

The name change is one of the reasons why learning more about the alleged shooter’s past has been difficult.

However, Post reporters dug into court records and online videos and found that Aldrich appears to have had a tumultous upbringing.

His parents separated when he was a toddler, and his mother was arrested for suspected arson.

As a teen, Aldrich was the target of frequent online bullying, including somsone setting up a fake YouTube account under their name with a crude animation titled, “Asian homosexual gets molested.”

AOC says Republican rhetoric to blame for hate attacks in Colorado and beyond

Wednesday 23 November 2022 19:29 , Josh Marcus

The Republican party has been playing with fire, according to Representative Alexandria , taking racist and discriminatory views that lead to violence on the street.

In a tweet following the mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGTBQ+ club over the weekend, Ms Ocasio-Cortez called on the GOP to “connect the dots” and disavow its hateful views.

“After Trump elevated anti-immigrant and anti-Latino rhetoric, we had the deadliest anti-Latino shooting in modern history,” she wrote. “After anti-Asian hate with COVID, Atlanta. Tree of life. Emanuel AME. Buffalo. And now after an anti-LGBT+ campaign, Colorado Springs.”

Do you agree with her analysis?

There have been 607 mass shootings this year

Wednesday 23 November 2022 19:13 , Josh Marcus

America’s gun violence epidemic continues unabated, with recent tragedies in Colorado Springs and a Walmart store in Virginia.

According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 607 mass shootings this year, and nearly 40,000 killed by gun violence overall this year.

Local sheriff bragged about running a ‘Second Amendment county’ before Colorado Springs shooting

Wednesday 23 November 2022 18:45 , Josh Marcus

After the weekend shooting at a Colorado Springs LGTBQ+ club, many are wondering how alleged shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich was able to get their gun.

The sheriff of El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, has long bragged about his stauch support for the Second Amendment and his opposition to gun control measures.

Sheriff Bill Elder opposed a 2020 state “red flag” law, allowing courts to bar dangerous people from getting guns.

“I am exploring all available legal options and am committed to vigorously challenging the constitutionality of this law,” Sheriff Elder said in April 2019.

He also supported a resolution from county commisisoners opposing the law, declared El Paso a  “Second Amendment preservation county,” and has bragged about issuing more concealed carry permits “than any other Sheriff in the state,” the Daily Beast reports.

Yesterday, Io Dodds had this look at how Aldrich was able to evade the state’s gun laws, despite once being arrested for a bomb threat.

How did the Colorado Springs gunman get his firearms despite ‘red flag’ law?

Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich seen for first time in court to face murder charges

Wednesday 23 November 2022 18:39 , Josh Marcus

Anderson Lee Aldrich, who is accused of killing five people and wounding numerous others in a mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGTBQ+ club over the weekend, made their first appearance in court on Wednesday.

Police are still investigating the massacre and the motive behind it, but the 22-year-old could face five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury.

In a brief hearing, Aldrich could be seen wearing a yellow prison uniform, and a judge decided the alleged shooter would remain in county jail without bond.

Aldrich, whose attorneys say they identify as nonbinary, allegedly entered Club Q with an AR-style assault rifle and and a handgun and killed Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Derrick Rump.

Get all the details.

FLOW

Denver Post slams Boebert for ‘elevating hateful speech'

Wednesday 23 November 2022 18:30 , Josh Marcus

In the wake of the mass shooting at Club Q, the most prominent paper in Laurent Boebert’s home state has taken the Colorado congresswoman to task for her long record of anti-LGTBQ+ views.

In a Wednesday editorial, The Denver Post post pointed to the connection between the MAGA Republican’s numerous attacks on the LGTBQ+ community and the hate-filled shooting that claimed five lives over the weekend.

The Post editorial board wrote that, through these remarks, Ms Boebert was “elevating hateful speech against the LGTBQ community,” adding that “her hard-line positions on gun control, ruling out even common sense measures, mean she would not have supported any efforts that might have kept guns out of this shooter’s possession.”

The paper didn’t just single out Ms Boebert though. It also hammered anti-LGTBQ religious schools who discriminate against gay parents and transgender students, as well as the Colorado voters who elevated MS Boebert in the first place.

Here’s our reporting on Colorado rep’s remarks.

AOC eviscerates Lauren Boebert for ‘thoughts and prayers’ tweet on Colorado shooting

Lauren Boebert condemned for response to Colorado Springs shooting

Suspected shooter changed his name at 15 due to online bullying

Wednesday 23 November 2022 18:10 , Bevan Hurley

According to court records, the shooting suspect changed names at the age of 15.

Born Nicholas Brink, the suspect petitioned a court to change their name to Anderson Aldrich.

Read on for full story.

Colorado shooting suspect was living under a new identity

ICYMI: Five victims identified in Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub attack

Wednesday 23 November 2022 17:50 , Bevan Hurley

Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh and Raymond Green have been identified as the five victims of the Club Q shooting.

Here’s what we know about the five victims of Saturday’s mass shooting.

Who were the people killed in the Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub shooting?

‘Quite literally, y’all saved my life’

Wednesday 23 November 2022 17:30 , Bevan Hurley

Colorado Springs shooting victim Daniel Aston wrote that the LGBT+ club targeted in Saturday night’s hate crime had rescued him.

“I’m not sure if I would’ve survived without you guys,” Aston, a transgender man who worked as a bartender at Club Q, wrote on Twitter two months before the attack.

He was among five people shot dead when a suspect — identified by police as Anderson Aldrich — opened fire.

Colorado shooting victim says LGBT+ club targeted in hate crime saved him

The terrible hypocrisy of Lauren Boebert’s ‘thoughts and prayers’ after Colorado Springs

Wednesday 23 November 2022 17:15 , Bevan Hurley

Skylar Baker-Jordan writes for Independent Voices:

“As far as I am concerned, Boebert – who has a history of making homophobic and transphobic comments – is at least morally responsible for this “lawless violence”, even if she has no legal responsibility. This is the woman who sneered at Pete Buttigieg taking paternity leave to “figure out how to chest feed,” demeaning gay parenting. She has routinely mocked Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine for being transgender, including labeling her a “groomer.” She has warned drag queens to stay away from children, implying they are a threat to kids.”

Full story below.

The hypocrisy of Lauren Boebert’s ‘thoughts and prayers’ after Colorado Springs

Anderson Lee Aldrich: What we know about suspect in the Colorado Springs shooting

Wednesday 23 November 2022 16:55 , Bevan Hurley

Here’s a recap of what we’ve discovered about the Colorado Springs shooting suspect.

Anderson Lee Aldrich: What we know about Colorado Springs shooting suspect