A Colorado judge ordered the suspect, accused of gunning down five people at gay night club, held without bond on Wednesday, during the suspect’s first court appearance.
The public got its first glimpse of Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, who made a virtual appearance from jail, before 4th Judicial District Court Judge Charlotte Ankeny.
Aldrich wore a sleeveless protective jail smock during the court hearing, during which the suspect appeared to be seated in a wheelchair in jail. The defendant appeared lethargic, with their head tilted to the right.
The suspect was barely audible when the judge asked the accused gunman to identify themself.
Aldrich was released from a hospital and transferred to jail on Tuesday, officials said. The accused shooter was treated for injuries suffered when club goers disarmed them.
The extent of the suspect’s injuries are not clear.
In addition to keeping the defendant held without bail during the brief El Paso County hearing, Ankeny also ordered prosecutors to share sealed arrest warrant material with Aldrich’s defense lawyers.
“I will release the affidavit to defense counsel and their investigator with a protective order in place that it not be released any further,” Ankeny ruled.
The judge set Aldrich’s next court date for Dec. 6 but that might still change, she said, as one of the defendant’s lawyers could be in trial on that day.
It’s been nearly four days since five people were slain at Club Q.
Aldrich has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder and another five counts of allegedly committing those crimes as part of a bias attack.
The 22-year-old is accused of walking into the Colorado Springs LGBTQ club late Saturday night with a high-powered rifle and opening fire, killing five people.
The carnage could have been worse if not for the fast action of Army veteran Richard Fierro, 45, and another person who jumped on Aldrich to stop the gunfire, officials said.
Defense attorneys for Aldrich filed routine court documents for their client this week, identifying the suspect as nonbinary.
The accused gunman was called “Mx. Aldrich” by public defenders, who noted that their client uses they/them pronouns.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
