Pleaded guilty to 50 hate crimes and 24 counts of illegal use of weapons.
Sentenced to 190 years in prison and several life sentences…avoided the death penalty
Anderson Aldrich, 23, the gunman who killed five people and put the lives of more than 40 others at risk at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty to hate crimes and violated gun laws and was spared the death penalty. It was revealed by court records on the 16th (local time) that plea negotiations had been entered into to do so.
In consultation with prosecutors, Aldrich admitted to 50 hate crime charges and 24 counts of unlawful use of a weapon, the court said.
Under the agreement, Aldrich will receive some relief from his 190-year sentence plus several life sentences, but that also requires a judge’s approval.
The reason this guilty plea was made public is because Oldirch had been claiming innocence ever since he appeared in court on the afternoon of the 16th.
Aldrich, who opened fire at Club Q in Colorado Springs on November 19, 2022, was sentenced to life in prison last June. He pleaded guilty to a total of 46 counts of attempted murder, counting the number of bullets fired during the shooting as one per person.
The change in attitude came a few days after word of mouth spread to Aldrich that federal prosecutors had sought the death penalty for a white supremacist who killed 10 black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
This death penalty decision does not change Attorney General Merrick Garland’s position that federal prosecutors oppose the death penalty, but it is evaluated as opening a new chapter in the long-standing debate for and against the death penalty in the United States.
After pleading guilty, Aldrich decided to no longer object to the hate crime punishment under state law.
If Aldrich pleads guilty, it will have the same weight as a confirmed sentence, so there is a higher possibility that the facts of the charge according to the state court will be recognized as is.
At the trial on the 16th, Aldrich appeared via video conference, and federal public defender David Kraut represented him. Kraut has not yet responded to media requests for comment.
This trial was attended remotely via video by the victims’ families, including Daniel Aston, the son of Jeff Aston, who was shot and killed during Aldrich’s shooting.
“For such a foolish, hate-filled and cowardly shooting, I believe it is justice that the criminal suffer the same amount as the victims and our families,” Aston told reporters.
Prosecutors said Aldrich had visited the nightclub at least six times before the shooting and had used large amounts of drugs.
[덴버( 미 콜로라도주)= AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.