Suspect in Colorado LGBTQ nightclub massacre is charged with 305 counts, including murder and hate crimes - NBC News

1 year ago 59

The fishy successful past month's deadly rampage astatine a Colorado LGBTQ nightclub was charged Tuesday with 305 transgression counts successful a lawsuit that volition person a “voluminous” magnitude of evidence, prosecutors said.

Anderson Lee 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.

The 305 charges filed successful tribunal see first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first- and second-degree battle and bias-motivated crimes, District Attorney Michael Allen told the court.

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 QMourners 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

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

“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 said.

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.

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 has seen 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.

Witnesses person credited the accelerated enactment of Army seasoned Richard Fierro, 45, and different idiosyncratic for pouncing connected the gunman and limiting the carnage.

This is simply a processing story. Please cheque backmost for updates.

David K. Li is simply a breaking quality newsman for NBC News.

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