The alleged shooter facing possible hate crime charges in the fatal shooting of five people at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ2S+ nightclub was ordered held without bail in an initial court appearance Wednesday as the suspect sat slumped over in a chair.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, could be seen with injuries visible on their face and head in a brief video appearance from jail. Aldrich appeared to need prompting by defence attorneys and offered a slurred response when asked to state their name by El Paso County Court Judge Charlotte Ankeny.
Prosecutor Michael Allen repeatedly referred to the suspect as "he" during a press briefing after the hearing and said the suspect's gender status would not change anything about the case in his opinion. Allen said Aldrich was "physically competent" to stand charges.Of 17 people injured by gunshots in the attack, 11 remained hospitalized late Wednesday, officials said.
The suspect's father, Aaron Brink, is a mixed martial arts fighter and pornography performer with an extensive criminal history, including convictions for battery against the alleged shooter's mother, Laura Voepel, both before and after the suspect was born, state and federal court records show.
Randy Voepel didn't return phone calls seeking comment. It's unclear how close he was with the suspect. Aldrich was arrested last year after their mother reported her child threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons, according to police. Ring doorbell video obtained by The Associated Press shows Aldrich arriving at their mother's front door with a big black bag the day of the 2021 bomb threat, telling her the police were nearby and adding, "This is where I stand. Today I die.
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