Colorado Springs LGBT nightclub shooter Anderson Aldrich has been sentenced to 55 life sentences after pleading guilty to 74 federal hate crime and weapons charges.
Aldrich, 24, opened fire with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle at Club Q in November 2022 while wearing body armor, killing five people and wounding 19 others before being stopped by “heroic” patrons.
The shooter had previously admitted guilt five counts of state murder and 46 attempted murders for which they are currently serving five consecutive life sentences and a further 2,212 years.
Despite being told in court that there was no possibility of parole for their sentences today, Aldrich refused to apologize or say anything to the victims’ families.
Colorado Springs LGBT nightclub shooter Anderson Aldrich has been sentenced to 55 life sentences after pleading guilty to 74 federal hate crime and gun charges
Those killed in the shooting were identified as Kelly Loving, 40; Daniel Aston, 28; Derrick Rump, 38; Ashley Paugh, 34; and Raymond Green Vance, 22
By pleading guilty to the federal hate crimes charge, the killer also admitted evidence of hate, proving the attack was premeditated and fueled by bias.
Those killed in the shooting were identified as Kelly Loving, 40; Daniel Aston, 28; Derrick Rump, 38; Ashley Paugh, 34; and Raymond Green Vance, 22.
District Judge Charlotte Sweeney, the first openly gay federal judge in Colorado, heard heartbreaking testimony from victims and their families before handing down the sentence, which also includes a total of 190 years in prison.
Several survivors and the families of the dead victims expressed in court their disappointment that Aldrich did not receive the death penalty, but were told that prosecutors had chosen not to seek the death penalty for Aldrich because of a plea deal signed in January.
Judge Sweeney instead assured victims that the life sentences will not mean lengthy appeals and hearings in which a hate crime suspect could become a symbol.
Derrick Rump (left) and Daniel Aston (right) were among five killed at Club Q in the apparent premeditated attack, carried out by a single gunman armed with an AR-15.
Club Q victim Kelly Loving, 40, a trans woman, was among five people killed in the shooting
Raymond Green Vance, 22, was tragically killed during the club massacre
Ashley Paugh, 35, a married mother, was one of the five victims
She said Aldrich will never get out of prison and will face “a miserable future with a miserable ending.”
“This community is stronger than your armor, stronger than your weapons and stronger than your hate,” she told Aldrich. She condemned him during Pride Month, according CNN.
Prosecutor Alison Connaughty also said of the sentencing: “Recognizing that these were hate crimes is important for the government, and also for the Club Q community.”
The shooting at Club Q was reminiscent of a 2016 massacre when a gunman killed 49 people at the gay Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, before being shot dead by police.
Aldrich, then 22, was formally indicted on December 6, 2022 and charged with 323 criminal counts, but did not enter a plea at the time.
People held a vigil at a makeshift memorial near the Club Q nightclub the night after the horror shooting
Prosecutors said Aldrich spent more than $9,000 on gun-related purchases from dozens of suppliers between September 2020 and the attack.
A hand-drawn map of Club Q, showing an entrance and exit, was found in Aldrich’s apartment, along with a black folder containing training materials titled “How to Deal with an Active Shooter.”
Attorneys in the state’s case said Aldrich is non-binary, and uses they/their pronouns. A prosecutor called that an attempt to avoid responsibility for hate crimes.
Ashtin Gamblin, who worked the front door of Club Q and was shot nine times, told The AP that a true member of the LGBTQ+ community would know about the discrimination and mental health issues its members face and that he would would not attack a place of refuge.
Aldrich visited the club at least eight times before returning wearing a tactical vest and carrying an AR-15-style rifle, first killing one person in the lobby and then shooting at bartenders and customers before targeting people on the dance floor .
A Navy officer grabbed the gun barrel and burned his hand, and an Army veteran helped subdue Aldrich until police arrived.
He was previously arrested in 2021 for threatening their grandparents and vowing to become “the next mass murderer.”