Club Q shooting suspect planned to livestream nightclub massacre, court told
The shoot suspect may have wanted to livestream the attack on Club Q (Colorado Springs Police Department)
Suspected Club Q shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich may have been planning to livestream the horrific, violent attack, evidence presented in court suggests.
The 22-year-old is accused of killing five people and injuring 22 others during a mass shooting at LGBTQ+ venue Club Q in Colorado Springs on 9 November 2022.
Daniel Aston, 28; Kelly Loving, 40; Ashley Paugh, 35; Derrick Rump, 38; and Raymond Green Vance, 22, were all killed during the incident.
Aldrich, who claims to be non-binary, is facing 323 criminal charges in connection with the shooting, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, assault and bias-motivated crimes.
A three-day evidentiary hearing to support prosecutors’ allegation the shooting was a hate crime is currently underway.
During the hearing, detective Rebecca Joines said evidence indicates that Aldrich was considering livestreaming the attack.
A hat found in Aldrich’s vehicle by police had a phone taped to it and Aldrich recorded four videos using a livestreaming app, which took place over a two-hour period before the shooting, the Associated Press reported.
Joines also testified that the 22-year-old administered an obscure website which hosted a “neo-Nazi white supremacist” shooting training video glorifying mass shootings.
He also posted an image of a rifle scope trained on a gay pride parade and used a bigoted slur when referring to someone who was gay, the detective told the court.
Further evidence shared by the Colorado Springs Police Department also revealed Aldrich owned a rainbow coloured gun target.
As the Denver Post reported, the rainbow-coloured target was found in Aldrich’s mother’s bedroom, in the apartment they shared.
Photographs shown in court revealed that the target had the silhouette of a person’s head and shoulders, with rainbow-coloured stripes around the silhouette.
Investigators also said they found gunmaking materials, receipts for weapons and a drawing of the club in the apartment.
During the court hearing surveillance footage was shared which showed Aldrich entering the club wearing a red T-shirt and tan ballistic vest while holding an AR-style rifle before opening fire in the venue.
The whole of the attack was captured on CCTV, prosecutors have said, the Associated Press reported.
Fourth judicial district judge Michael McHenry will decide whether there is enough evidence to charge with hate crime offences at the end of the hearing.
The case continues.
