The 22-year-old gunman who killed at least five in a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs is the grandson of a California Trump-alligned Republican member of the state assembly, and he had a run-in with police after threatening to blow up his mother’s house, the Washington Post reports.
Anderson Lee Aldrich’s grandfather is reportedly Randy Voepel, who represents the 71st District in the California state assembly. Advocacy groups called for Randy Voepel’s expulsion from the assembly for calling for “Lexington and Concord” in the days prior to the Republican-led January 6th domestic terrorist attack on Congress.
Aldrich reportedly had an assault rifle and possibly one other weapon when he shot up the Club Q in Colorado Springs, killing at least five and injuring at least 25. In June, Aldrich’s mother called police and told them her son threatened her and said he had a bomb planted in the house. Police evacuated the neighborhood and confronted Aldrich at a neighbor’s home, which led to a one-hour standoff. No bomb was found, but Aldrich was charged with felony menacing, kidnapping and other charges.