Club Q suspected gunman appears before judge with visible injuries, remains in custody without bond
The hearing for the person accused in the Club Q shooting was brief.
"The court will call 22-CR6008, the people versus Anderson Aldrich," announced Judge Charlotte Arkeny.
The defendant hardly spoke at all. They were asked to say their name and "Anderson Aldrich" was the slowly spoken answer.
The judge asked, "Anderson Aldrich, did you watch the video concerning your Constitutional rights in this case?"
The reply was "yes."
The court has been notified that the suspect is non-binary and prefers the pronouns "they" and "them."
During the shooting spree, witnesses claim the suspect was disarmed by two club patrons who beat and stomped on them.
The 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen was asked if the suspect was able to proceed in the case.
"The court asked very specific questions about his Constitutional right and he acknowledged them and appears that he is physically competent to participate," said Allen.
Some head and face injuries could be seen on the suspect during the video feed to the courtroom. A mug shot released by the Colorado Springs Police Department was much more vivid.
For now, the defendant faces five murder and five hate crime charges.
Aaron Brink is the suspect's father and lives in the San Diego area. He thought his son had been dead for several years.
"I thought he was dead, I was mourning his loss," said Brink.
He said his ex-wife told him the person he knew as their son had changed their name from Nicholas Brink to Anderson Aldrich.
"His mother said he changed his name because I was in intervention because I was a porno actor," Brink told KFMB-TV.
The district attorney told reporters, "To us, the legal definition in this proceeding is 'the defendant.'"
The suspect remains held without bond. The next court appearance is tentatively scheduled for early December. More charges could come by then.
