Does Colorado Have Death Penalty? Shooting Suspect Faces Call for Execution

Colorado authorities are facing calls to execute the man who allegedly opened fire in an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs late Saturday night, killing five people and injuring 18 others.

Anderson Aldrich, 22, was arrested and charged with five counts of first-degree murder in connection to the shooting at Club Q, which was known as a safe space for local members of the LGBTQ community, according to Colorado Springs' local newspaper The Gazette.

He has also been charged with five counts of bias-motivated crimes causing bodily injury, the paper added.

Police have not yet revealed Aldrich's motive, but Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said the shooting "has the trappings of a hate crime" during an appearance on NBC's Today show on Monday.

Many took to Twitter to call for the suspected shooter to face the death penalty.

"Make sure he gets an invitation to his son's execution," actor Bob Clendenin tweeted in response to a post about Aldrich's grandfather.

Twitter user Rod Silva tweeted: "Rest in Peace Daniel Aston. I hope the state of Colorado has the death penalty. Get that needle sharp and ready for the gunman."

Colorado Banned Death Penalty in 2020

However, the death penalty is not used in Colorado. This means the suspected shooter could still receive a harsh prison sentence, but execution will be off the table.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed the ban into law on March 23, 2020, and then commuted the death sentences of three men who were on death row.

In a statement released at the time, Polis denounced the death penalty as never being "administered equitably in the State of Colorado."

Opponents of the death penalty have long argued execution is inhumane, with some arguing it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, which is banned by the U.S. Constitution—though not all legal experts hold that belief.

Critics also argue that it has historically been applied unjustly, with people of color being more likely to face execution than their white counterparts, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Proponents of the death penalty, on the other hand, say it keeps the U.S. safer and makes sense to execute the most heinous criminals responsible for violent crimes.

What We Know About Suspected Shooter Anderson Aldrich

Police identified Aldrich as the suspected shooter during a Sunday press conference.

Authorities said he used an AR-15-style semiautomatic weapon during the deadly shooting. Patrons reportedly stopped the attacker by taking his handgun and hitting him with it.

He was previously arrested in June 2021 after his mother reported he threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. The arrest did not appear to trigger Colorado's "red flag" law, which would have allowed police to seize Aldrich's weapons.

Local media has identified him as the grandson of California MAGA Republican Assemblyman Randy Voepel, who has in the past faced scrutiny for comparing the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol to the American Revolutionary War.

Colorado Springs police are set to hold their next press conference at noon local time on Monday.