Shooter who killed 5 people at Colorado LGBTQ+ club intends to plead guilty to federal hate crimes

Source: Associated Press

Shooter who killed 5 people at Colorado LGBTQ+ club intends to plead guilty to federal hate crimes

BY COLLEEN SLEVIN
Updated 7:50 PM EST, January 16, 2024

DENVER (AP) — The shooter who killed five people and endangered the lives of over 40 others at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs plans to plead guilty to new federal charges for hate crimes and firearm violations under an agreement that would allow the defendant to avoid the death penalty, according to court documents made public Tuesday.

Anderson Aldrich, 23, made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to 50 hate crime charges and 24 firearm violations, the documents show. Aldrich would get multiple life sentences in addition to a 190-year sentence under the proposed agreement, which needs a judge’s approval.

The Jan. 9 plea agreement was unsealed by the court after Aldrich had pleaded not guilty in court during an initial appearance on Tuesday afternoon. The gun charges can carry a maximum penalty of death, according to the agreement.

Aldrich was sentenced to life in prison last June after pleading guilty to state charges of murder and 46 counts of attempted murder — one for each person at Club Q during the attack on Nov. 19, 2022.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/colorado-springs-lgbtq-bar-shooting-335dd85c2f77727e36e7a776ebbe9d44