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Colorado Police have identified Anderson Lee Aldrich as the suspect responsible for the shooting at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs Police Department Deputy Chief Adrian Vasquez confirmed the suspect’s identity at a press conference on Sunday morning, hours after five people were killed and 18 others were injured inside LGBT+ nightclub Club Q.
He is 22 and police haven’t released his photo.
He is a resident of Colorado Spring, El Paso County, Colorado.
Where is the suspect currently?
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, is now in custody and is currently being treated at a local hospital.
He was apparently previously been arrested for making a homemade bomb.
How did the shooting unfold?
The shooting took place after Club Q held a punk and alternative drag show called “Delusions”, hosted by performer Del Lusional.
The show began at 9pm, followed by a DJ and dancing from 11pm that was scheduled to go to 2am.
Gunfire was reported just before midnight with officers rushing to the scene.
“I was walking backstage when I heard the gunshots. I only saw the after math and even then, I didn’t wanna look,” Del Lusional wrote in a post on Twitter.
In another post, the performer said: “I never thought this would happen to me and my bar. I don’t know what to do with myself. I can’t stop hearing the shots.”
One victim ran from the scene to a nearby 7-Eleven and collapsed, according to a witness who spoke with Colorado Public Radio.
“One of the victims had gotten shot seven times and ran over here … trying to get some help,” he said. “He collapsed. That’s why that caution tape is out in the front there.”
A post on the club’s Facebook page said that people inside the building helped stop the gunman.
“Our [prayers] and thoughts are with all the victims and their families and friends,” according to a post on the club’s Facebook page. “We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”
Latest details about Club q shooting incident
- The shooting took place during a drag queen event that began at 9pm and was set to finish at 2am.
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The police received an initial call about a shooting at the nightclub at 11:56 p.m., said Lt. Pamela Castro, the Colorado Springs Police Department spokeswoman. Within six minutes, officers had entered the nightclub, Club Q, and had taken a suspect into custody, she said. The suspect was also injured and was being treated at a hospital.
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Chief Vasquez said the gunman had used a long rifle. Two guns were recovered at the club, the chief said, adding that officials were investigating a motive.
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The injured were taken to several hospitals, Lieutenant Castro said, adding that some also drove themselves to seek treatment, making the exact number of injured uncertain.
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The F.B.I. said that it was involved in the investigation, and several Colorado lawmakers condemned the shooting. In a statement, Gov. Jared Polis praised the “brave individuals” at the nightclub who had “blocked the gunman.”
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In a statement on its Facebook page, Club Q said it was “devastated by the senseless attack on our community.” The shooting at Club Q had echoes of the 2016 massacre at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., where a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 after proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group.
What was the reason behind the Club q shooting?
The motives behind the Colorado Springs shooting were still under investigation on Sunday, but in recent decades, America’s L.G.B.T.Q. clubs and bars have been targeted in a series of hate-fueled attacks.
