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Anderson Aldrich told family they planned to be 'next mass killer', show previous arrest records

The results of the 2021 bomb-threat arrest are under seal and it’s not clear if the charges were dismissed
UPDATED NOV 24, 2022
Anderson Aldrich who went on a rampage in Colorado's Club Q and killed 5 wanted to be  a mass killer (Colorado Springs PD and Chet Strange/Getty Images)
Anderson Aldrich who went on a rampage in Colorado's Club Q and killed 5 wanted to be a mass killer (Colorado Springs PD and Chet Strange/Getty Images)

COLORADO SPRING, COLORADO: The suspected Colorado nightclub shooter wanted to be "the next mass killer" and complained that their grandparents' plans to move south would derail a plan to build a bomb. When Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, learned their grandparents were selling their home and moving to Florida in June 2021, they lost control and threatened to kill their grandparents, according to documents obtained by KKTV.

More than a year before Aldrich reportedly attacked an LGBTQ bar called Club Q in Colorado Springs and killed five people, an incident occurred in which the SWAT invaded the home of Aldrich's mother. It's unclear whether charges have been dropped in the 2021 bomb threat case because the findings are under seal. Advocates, however, question why Aldrich continued to have access to lethal weapons after their arrest. Advocates believe the weapons may have been taken away from them because of Colorado's "red flag" legislation. On June 18, 2021, they told Aldrich that they were living with their grandparents at the time. According to their attorneys, Aldrich also identifies as non-binary.

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Mourners at a memorial outside of Club Q on November 22, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A gunman opened fire inside the LGBTQ+ club on November 19th, killing 5 and injuring 25 others.
Mourners at a memorial outside of Club Q on November 22, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Anderson Aldrich opened fire inside the LGBTQ+ club on November 19th, killing 5 and injuring 25 others (Chet Strange/Getty Images) 

The grandma eventually disclosed to police that Aldrich was "going to be the next mass killer and has been collecting ammunition, firearms, bullet-proof body armor and storing it in the basement of the residence.” The recordings acquired by KKTV reveal that the grandchild had boasted about wanting to "go out in a blaze" and had begun to construct what the grandmother thought was a bomb. Aldrich asserted that the bomb's explosive force would be sufficient to destroy a police station or a government structure. Aldrich's grandparents claimed they had made "homicidal threats" toward them and others, so this wasn't the first thing they had reason to be alarmed about. 

Investigators work outside of Club Q on November 22, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On Saturday, November 19th, a gunman opened fire in the LGBTQ+ nightclub, killing 5 and injuring 25 others, before being subdued by patrons.
Investigators work outside of Club Q on November 22, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On Saturday, November 19th, Anderson Lee Aldrich opened fire in the LGBTQ+ nightclub, killing 5 and injuring 25 others, before being subdued by patrons (Chet Strange/Getty Images)

At a family gathering to discuss the impending move, Aldrich loaded a revolver in their line of sight and yelled, "You guys die today." According to the arrest record, Alrich said, “I’m loaded and ready, you’re not calling anyone,” during the gathering. Before they left for their mother's house nearby, Aldrich drank some vodka and declared that they required the alcohol for "what he's about to do." Upon receiving a 911 call, the police called Aldrich's mother, who was uncooperative and subsequently texted her landlord to report that her son was in the house. Aldrich's mother came out of the house and said, "He let me go," as a SWAT squad arrived. Despite not receiving a formal accusation, Aldrich might be charged with murder and a hate crime in connection with the Saturday shooting at Club Q. Defense attorneys claimed in a court document on Tuesday that Aldrich identified as nonbinary and used the pronouns they/them.

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