Police held a press conference Sunday to reveal information about the suspected Colorado gunman that killed at least five people and injured 18.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, allegedly entered Colorado Springs’ Club Q, an LGBT club late Saturday night and opened fire. He appeared to have acted alone, according to Colorado Springs Police, so there was no continued threat to the public once police detained Aldrich.
Aldrich was detained at 12:02 a.m., two minutes after the first police officer arrived on the scene, which was three minutes after being dispatched. While he remains in police custody, he is receiving medical treatment for undisclosed injuries in a local hospital. There were two firearms in his possession at the time, with police revealing one of the weapons to be a long rifle. Police could not confirm who owned the guns.
News outlet Heavy reported Aldrich is the grandson of former California State Assemblyman Randy Voepel (R), who is also a former mayor of Santee, California. Voepel, who made a comment to a local newspaper comparing the Jan. 6 attacks to the Revolutionary War, lost his run for reelection during the August primaries. Aldrich’s mother, Laurel Voepel, seemingly approved of her father’s politics, writing “keep up the good work Dad” in a Facebook post that predated Jan. 6.
While Colorado Springs Police could not confirm if Aldrich had had previous legal infractions, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man with the same name and age in June 2021 in connection to a bomb threat. No charges were ever filed, and a man by the name of Aldrich called the Denver Gazette to ask that the original article on the incident be removed from its website.
“There is absolutely nothing there, the case was dropped, and I’m asking you either remove or update the story,” Aldrich said in a voice message its office. “The entire case was dismissed.”
Around that same time, Aldrich’s mother made another Facebook post in a group associated with a local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asking for recommendations on defense attorneys. Notably, in the bomb threat case, the suspect’s mother was the one to report the bomb threat to police.
“Does anyone know of a fantastic defense attorney?” Voepel wrote. “I ask this with a heavy heart but my family really needs some help at this time. We have cash to retain good counsel. Thank you.”
Club Q has since referred to the shooting as a “hate attack” on its Facebook page. In response, the CSPD has changed its profile picture on Facebook to include a rainbow ribbon in solidarity with the LGBT community. The department is set to host a Community Resource Expo Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to “provide mental health resources, spiritual support, emotional support animals, childcare, emergency financial resources, LGBTQ+ support, meals” and more.
The more they shove there crap on poeple I believe the more things like this is going to happen. To each there on because everyone has to answer to God in the end. But having sex paraded and drag show s in front of children. Poeple will not take kindly to that. The gay communities never had this bad of thing happen until no so maybe your adding fuel to the fire. Poeple are getting tired of woke the attempted destruction of the constitution the destruction of the history of this country and poeple doing what the hell they want with are on so called government not enforcing any type of law and order. There is no reason for anyone to be shot and killed. But the things being allowed by this corrupt government and the separation and the lies they are spreading to get poeple to turn on each other is obviously working because just look at the crime and destruction they have created and all are following like sheep I’m just saying wake up poeple it’s your government trying to enslave everyone.