The Club Q shooter who killed five people and endangered over 40 others, Anderson Lee Aldrich, is expected to plead guilty to 50 federal hate crime charges.
According to court documents made public on Tuesday, January 16, Aldrich (23) has agreed to a deal with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to all hate crime charges and a further 24 firearm violations.
Under the agreement, which still requires judicial approval, they would serve multiple life sentences concurrently and a 190-year sentence for all additional charges.
The documents read, “Among other provisions, the agreement provides that the defendant will plead guilty to every count of a 74-count Information charging him with federal hate crimes in violation of relevant provisions of the Shepard-Byrd Act, 18 U.S.C. § 249, and appurtenant gun crimes in violation of the relevant provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 924.”
Whilst Aldrich, who identifies as non-binary, was already sentenced to over 2,000 years on murder charges in a Colorado state court last June, the federal sentencing was expected to include the death penalty. However, the new agreement, filed jointly by the Justice Department and Aldrich’s lawyer, revealed a guilty plea meant prosecutors were no longer seeking capital punishment.
“The United States is not seeking the death penalty in this case. The parties have agreed that multiple concurrent life sentences plus a consecutive sentence of 190 years imprisonment is sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of criminal justice,” the court documents stated.
They continued, “The defendant’s attack on Club Q interfered with the club’s ability to do business and provide a safe, fun, and welcoming environment for patrons who had gathered there during and after the drag show as part of a weekend of events related to Transgender Day of Remembrance.”
The five people killed in Club Q during the horrific hate crime carried out on November 29, 2022, were Daniel Aston (28), Kelly Loving (40), Ashley Paugh (35), Derrick Rump (38), and Raymond Green Vance (22).
Whilst the venue has remained closed since the attack, the owners have announced plans to reopen with a new name in a new location.
As of yet, no date has been set for the plea hearing, however, the court docket indicates it will be scheduled for the near future.
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