The Club Q mass shooting suspect had a chilling plan to live stream the November attack and had rainbow shooting targets at his home, a court heard.
Anderson Lee Aldrich faces 323 charges in connection with the killings at the LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs which left five people dead and 22 injured.
The court heard that he ran a Neo-Nazi website, pretended to be a victim on the night of the massacre and even tried to blame the attack on one of the men who wrestled away the gun, court proceedings revealed.
Police officers gave evidence on Wednesday during the first day of a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant hate crime charges against the defendant.
CSPD Detective Jason Gasper told the court how he had found a black hat in the suspect’s vehicle at the club. The detective said that a red phone had been taped to the brim of the hat with the camera lens visible.
The court was told that the suspect uploaded four videos to a livestreaming platform called Larix Broadcaster, one from their apartment, and three from the parking lot at the club.
Aldrich, 22, identifies as nonbinary and uses “they” and “them” pronouns, but a member of a protected group can still be charged with a hate crime for targeting peers, the Associated Press reported.
Photos showed in court included a gun target in Aldrich’s mother’s bedroom depicting a silhouetted person’s head and shoulders surrounded by rainbow stripes, according to the Denver Post.
Detective Rebecca Jones also testified that the suspect had “used racial slurs while gaming, posted an image of a rifle scope trained on a gay pride parade and used a bigoted slur when referring to someone who was gay,” AP reported.
The detective also testified that a witness told investigators Aldrich, who is from Colorado Springs, said their mother was nonbinary and forced the suspect to go to LGBTQ clubs, according to the news organisation.
Aldrich had been to Club Q at least once before the attack, according to photos showing the suspect at the site with a drink in hand on October 29, according to the Denver Post.
The suspect’s attorney also “revealed during a recent hearing that Aldrich was at the club earlier on the night of the shooting for about 1 1/2 hours, but he didn’t say why or elaborate,” AP reported.
Prosecutors allege the 22-year-old burst into the club later that night and began firing indiscriminately, killing Daniel Aston, 28; Kelly Loving, 40; Ashley Paugh, 35; Derrick Rump, 38; and Raymond Green Vance, 22.
The court was told that investigators found a “baseball hat with a cellphone duct-taped to the bill -- camera facing forward -- on the front seat of Aldrich’s vehicle, which Aldrich left running and with the driver’s side door open when they entered the club,” the newspaper reported.
One of the celebrated heroes of the tragedy was Mr Vance’s girlfriend’s father, Richard Fierro. Further details emerged of the actions taken by the Army veteran and Navy veteran Thomas James, who helped tackle and disarm the suspect before police arrived.
Colorado Springs Detective Ashton Gardner testified that Mr James grabbed the barrel of the suspect’s AK-15-style rifle, which burnt blisters into his hand, then wrestled down steps with Aldrich, who pulled out a handgun and shot the veteran in the chest and ribs. Mr Fierro continued to subdue and beat the victim until authorities intervened.
Aldrich, however, initially claimed to be a victim and attempted to divert attention onto one of the patrons who halted the attack, Colorado Springs Officer Connor Wallick testified, in addition to claiming the real shooter was hiding - though investigators quickly proved the claims false.
Aldrich, who remains in custody at El Pasto County Jail, was emotional on Wednesday, rocking back and forth, shaking and at one point taking a tissue from a defence attorney, according to reports. The suspect has not yet been asked to enter a plea.
At the end of the hearing, Fourth Judicial District Judge Michael McHenry will decide whether there is enough evidence to support the charges against Aldrich and whether the case will go forward.
