Preliminary hearing for Anderson Aldrich to begin Wednesday

Zachary Dupont, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
·2 min read

Feb. 21—Three months after the Club Q mass shooting, the alleged shooter, Anderson Aldrich, is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing in which prosecutors could present new evidence.

At the hearing, a judge will determine if the prosecution can continue to pursue a trial against Aldrich, who faces 323 charges in the Nov. 19 shooting, which killed five patrons at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub on North Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs.

The hearing is expected to last at least two days, and the prosecution will present evidence and testimony to establish probable cause for the charges.

District Attorney Michael Allen said during a hearing in January that extensive surveillance footage of Aldrich committing the shooting is among the evidence prosecutors will present at the preliminary hearing.

Aldrich's attorney Joseph Archambault has been vocal about his desire to have the preliminary hearing postponed over concerns of not being ready by Wednesday, but Judge Michael McHenry denied Archambault's requests for a continuance in both January and February.

Earlier this month, during Aldrich's most recent court appearance, there was discussion over potential video evidence of Aldrich being in Club Q "multiple times" before the shooting. However, the prosecution said the video evidence in question will not be ready in time for the preliminary hearing.

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While neither Archambault nor prosecuting attorney Reginald Short explicitly said Aldrich was at Club Q before the shooting, both attorneys said video surveillance footage from Club Q hours before the incident is noteworthy in this case.

If McHenry at the end of the preliminary hearing opts to bind over Aldrich on the 323 charges, Aldrich's attorneys will then be forced to enter a plea at an arraignment at a later date.

Prosecutors have mentioned over the past few months that the mental competency of Aldrich could play a role after the preliminary hearing, implying that Aldrich may plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

Aldrich, who was 22 years old at the time of the shooting, originally faced 305 charges. But since the time of Aldrich's arrest, the prosecution has added 18 charges. Aldrich remains in custody at the El Paso County jail pending trial.

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