Police officers were dispatched at 11:57 pm MST to Club Q located in Colorado Springs, CO following several reports of gunshots. By 12:02 am the suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, formerly known as Nicholas F. Brink, had been detained. (CNN) Aldrich was found with a semi-automatic weapon, a handgun, and ammunition. Questions have arisen over why Colorado’s “red flag” law was not utilized to seize his weapons in 2021 when he verbally threatened his mother with a homemade bomb. One explanation given was that no seizure was possible because there were neither bombs nor other weapons found at the time of the 2021 incident. (AP)
Though the club catered to the LGBTQ community, it remains unclear if the shooter was motivated by bias. Regardless, the 22-year-old has been charged with “five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury.” (CNN) Thomas James and Richard Fierro, two club attendees, were credited with subduing the suspect. While both were injured during the struggle, neither sustained life-threatening injuries. However, Fierro’s daughter’s boyfriend was killed during the shooting. (USA Today)
Date of event: November 19-20, 2022
Impact:
- 5 people killed
- At least 19 injured (including the suspect) (CNN)
Related Resources:
- Descriptive Analysis of Mass Shootings in the United States from 2010 to 2020: The Relationship Between Firearm Dealership Density and Proximity to Mass Shooting Sites and a Comparison with McDonald’s and Starbucks Retailers
- Monitoring the Unpredictable: What Can Law Enforcement Do to Track Potential Active Shooters?
HSDL Featured Topic: Active Shooters | Domestic (U.S.) Terrorism
HSDL Search: Hate Crime | Mass Shooting | Active Shooter | Gun Violence
Photo credit: The Denver Post