Shooter who killed 5 at a Colorado LGBTQ+ club pleads guilty to 50 federal hate crimes
The shooter who killed five people and injured 19 others at Club Q in Colorado Springs pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes and was sentenced to 55 life terms in prison on Tuesday.
DENVER — The shooter who killed five people and injured 19 others at an LGBTQ+ club that was a refuge in the conservative city of Colorado Springs pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes and was sentenced to 55 life terms in prison on Tuesday, but once again declined to apologize or say anything to the victims’ families.
Prosecutors nevertheless highlighted the importance of Anderson Lee Aldrich being forced to take responsibility for the hatred toward LGBTQ+ people that they say motivated the mass shooting. As part of a plea agreement, Aldrich repeatedly admitted on Tuesday to evidence of hate.
“The admission that these were hate crimes is important to the government, and it’s important to the community of Club Q,” said prosecutor Alison Connaughty.
Aldrich attacked a place that was much more than a bar, according to Connaughty, who described Club Q as a safe space for people in the LGBTQ+ community.
“We met people who said ‘this venue saved my life and I was able to feel normal again,’” she said. The sentence against Aldrich “sends a message that acts of hate will be met with severe consequences.”
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