The author of the shooting is the grandson of a state legislator who has been criticized for his support of this community
A shiver went through all the gay bars in the United States on Sunday. The attack on the Q Club in Colorado Springs, which left five dead and 30 injured, is a reminder that hatred still reigns. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who had just been re-elected with the support of that community, took immediate action. “I have ordered state police to strengthen surveillance and support for communities potentially targeted by hate crimes,” he announced. “In New York, we do not tolerate violence or bigotry against any group.”
Similar to the 2016 attack on the Orlando club, Pulse, some heterosexuals were among the victims who simply danced on the floor that night to have a good time. Among them was Ashley Pogue, who leaves a husband and 11-year-old daughter “totally devastated,” her sister Stephanie Clark said. His hobbies were fishing and hunting. He had killed a deer the week before, but it wasn’t this gun enthusiast who helped subdue the 22-year-old gunman, it was two men who lunged at him, grabbed one of his pistols and hit him in the head with it. In doing so, they demystify the theory that only a well-armed man can stop an armed bad man. “We are indebted to them,” said police chief Adrian Vasquez.
All this happened in less than five minutes. If it weren’t for them, the police believe the scale of the massacre would have been much greater. In Orlando, the list of fatalities rose to 49 people, in addition to 53 injured. In that shooting, the deadliest in United States history until the one in Las Vegas the following year, the killer had time to find his victims hidden in the toilets and take hostages to confront police, who were more than 3 hours to shoot him.
The Club Q suspect will tell the story for a long time, but he hasn’t wanted to talk yet. Anderson Lee Aldrich was injured and is in a life-threatening condition at a local hospital. This Monday, the prosecution filed five charges against him for first-degree murder and another five for injuries caused during a hate crime, which will be just the beginning. His criminal record includes a previous arrest for threatening to kill his mother with a pipe bomb in El Paso as recently as June of last year, as well as several hate crimes that will add weight to the case against him. Her mother “didn’t cooperate either,” Vasquez said.
The young man, described as “a runaway train” by his mother at his church, is believed to be the grandson of Republican state legislator Randy Voepel, a former mayor of Santee, California, who was ironically criticized by the California Family Council. “being openly hostile to biblical values”, after voting for gay month.
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
