Colorado Hate Crime Mastermind Sentenced to Life

Anderson Lee Aldrich, a 24-year-old former Colorado Springs resident, has been sentenced to 55 concurrent life sentences to run consecutive to 190 years in prison for his role in the 2022 mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQIA+ establishment in Colorado Springs.

Aldrich pleaded guilty to 74 hate crimes and firearms charges related to the November 19, 2022, attack, which left five people dead and 19 injured. The defendant admitted to targeting members of the LGBTQIA+ community, who he believed were “actual or perceived” to be part of that community.

According to the plea agreement, Aldrich entered Club Q armed with a loaded, privately manufactured assault weapon and began firing, continuing to fire until subdued by patrons of the Club. The attack was described as a “willful, deliberate, malicious, and premediated” act of violence.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland called the attack “fueled by hate” and said that the Justice Department is committed to protecting the rights of all people to live free from fear of hate-fueled violence or discrimination. Garland praised the work of agents, prosecutors, and staff members across the Department, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Civil Rights Division, the ATF, and the FBI.

FBI Director Christopher Wray described the 2022 mass shooting at Club Q as “one of the most violent crimes against the LGBTQIA+ community in history.” Wray praised the patrons of the Club who selflessly acted to subdue the defendant, saying that the FBI stands with the survivors, victims, and families of homophobic violence and hate.

The sentence was welcomed by officials, who said that it would provide some measure of justice to the survivors, victims’ families, and the LGBTQIA+ community. “Hate has no place in our country and no place in Colorado,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “I hope that today’s sentence demonstrates to the victims and those connected to this horrific event that we do not tolerate these heinous acts of violence.”

The FBI Denver Field Office, Colorado Springs Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alison Connaughty and [missing name] prosecuted the case.

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