(Colorado Springs) The alleged perpetrator of the shooting that killed five people at a Colorado LGBTQ+ nightclub last weekend will be held without bail until his trial, a court ruled Wednesday.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, could be seen with apparent injuries to his face and head during a brief video appearance from prison. He offered a confused response when asked to say his name.
The suspect was beaten by patrons during Saturday night’s shooting at “Club Q” and was discharged from hospital on Tuesday. The motive for the killing is still under investigation, but authorities said he could be charged with murder and hate crimes.
Hate crime charges would require proof that the shooter was motivated by bias, for example against the victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity. The charges are still preliminary and prosecutors have yet to formally file them.
Defense attorneys said Tuesday night that the suspect was non-binary and in court documents referred to him as “Mx Aldrich.”
Prosecutor Michael Allen repeatedly used the pronoun “he” during a press briefing after the hearing to refer to the suspect and said the suspect’s gender would not change the case in his view.
The next hearing will be on December 6.