Colorado LGBTQ club shooting suspect is charged with 305 counts, including murder - NBC News

The fishy successful past month's deadly rampage astatine a Colorado LGBTQ nightclub was charged Tuesday with 305 transgression counts successful what could beryllium the astir heavy prosecuted execution lawsuit successful authorities history, authorities said.

The charges filed against Anderson Lee Aldrich see first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first- and second-degree battle and bias-motivated crimes, District Attorney Michael Allen told the court.

Aldrich is suspected of sidesplitting 5 radical and wounding 17 others on Nov. 19 astatine Club Q successful Colorado Springs. Five much were injured but not by gunshots. Twelve others were victims with nary disposable injuries, constabulary said.

Allen said helium couldn't callback a execution proceedings with truthful galore counts.

“At slightest to my knowledge, I deliberation it’s astir apt the astir charges that we’ve ever filed successful a azygous case, connected a execution lawsuit similar this successful the authorities of Colorado," Allen told reporters aft the hearing. "But determination could beryllium others retired determination that I’m conscionable not reasoning of close now.”

Lawyers connected some sides asked the justice to docket Aldrich's preliminary proceeding for May.

Mourners stitchery astatine a memorial for the victims of a wide shooting astatine Club Q successful Colorado Spring, Colo. connected Nov. 25, 2022.Parker Seibold / The Gazette via AP file

“We person a batch of obligations already, some of us, that marque it precise trouble to get thing scheduled successful the aboriginal spring," defence lawyer Joseph Archambault told the court.

Allen cited his ain engaged proceedings docket and said defence lawyers volition request clip to spell implicit each of the grounds against their client.

Allen, connected March 17, is acceptable to commencement the high-profile execution trial of Letecia Stauch who is accused of sidesplitting 11-year-old stepson Gannon Stauch, who vanished successful January of 2020.

“This lawsuit we expect to beryllium precise voluminous (and) volition astir apt instrumentality immoderate clip for defence (lawyers) to digest it and beryllium acceptable for presumption of grounds astatine a preliminary hearing,” Allen told the court.

But 4th Judicial District Judge Michael McHenry insisted the proceeding tin commencement sooner and ordered some sides to beryllium acceptable connected Feb. 22 for a preliminary proceeding helium expected to past 2 days.

“I would beryllium amazed if we get to an existent assemblage proceedings sometime successful 2023," Allen aboriginal told reporters. "I fishy it’ll beryllium sometime aboriginal than that.”

Aldrich sat alongside defence lawyers, wearing a fluorescent lime jailhouse azygous and appearing attentive passim the proceeding.

Tuesday's pre-trial proceeding was the archetypal clip the nationalist saw Aldrich since Nov. 23 when the 22-year-old made an archetypal tribunal appearance.

The suspect, who was roughed up by nine patrons who desperately fought backmost during the shooting, appeared lethargic that time and struggled to beryllium upright successful a wheelchair.

Booking mug shots showed galore cuts each implicit the suspect's face, a black, swollen near oculus and a bruise down the near ear. Aldrich is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.

“At the precise archetypal setting, the suspect’s demeanor and assemblage were overmuch antithetic than today," Allen said aft the hearing.

The fishy "walked into the courtroom contiguous (and) appears to person healed, to immoderate degree, signifier the bruising that was evident connected (Aldrich's) look astatine the past setting."

Witnesses person credited the accelerated enactment of Army seasoned Richard Fierro, 45, and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas James for pouncing connected the gunman and limiting the carnage.