Club Q shooting suspect's family changed stories about June 2021 events: court documents

A judge in El Paso County ordered case files unsealed in the 2021 arrest of Anderson Aldrich, the defendant in the Club Q shooting that killed five and injured dozens of others in November this year.

Documents released indicate Aldrich's grandmother contacted authorities in June last year and said her grandchild was building a bomb in the basement, was going to be the next mass killer, and was going to die and take them, too.

It was June of last year when Aldrich walked into the home where their mother had been staying.

Police had been called by the suspect's family members concerning threats. Aldrich live-streamed a profane rant while wearing body armor and carrying a weapon.

"This is your boy, I've got the (obscenities) outside, I got a beat on it," he yelled.

Aldrich eventually surrendered, but the case disappeared from court records.

The 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen explained at a news conference Aldrich's family members had changed their stories.

"His mother at that hearing described him as loving and passionate, his grandmother described him as a sweet young man and does not deserve to be in jail."

The family members who had contacted police in this incident then could not be located for subpoenas and a speedy trial clock ran out.

Allen added, "Nobody gave up on this case, we were fighting this case to the very end, we asked for a continuance just before the case was dismissed."

Allen speculated, "It is very doubtful a court red flag order would have prevented the Club Q shooting."

He said people, "bound and determined to do something bad against somebody else often time doesn't stop somebody from doing that."

One document from the 2021 incident is a letter from family members of Aldrich's grandparents to the court, one page reads, "Anderson has always been homeschooled because he could not get along with any of his classmates. When my brother's family lived in San Antonio during Anderson's high school years, he attacked my brother. My brother then had to go to the ER and was diagnosed with (redacted). My brother lied to the doctors at the ER about how it happened due to being afraid of Anderson's anger if he was picked up by the police. When the family moved to Colorado several years ago, my brother was threatened various times, but he was too scared to confront Anderson. Anderson has never held a job and lives off my brother and his wife."

The letter continues: "Since moving to Colorado to their new home, he punched holes in the walls, broken windows, broken locks-my brother and his wife had to sleep in their bedroom with the door locked and bat by the bed. The police were called to the house previously, but Anderson threatened my brother if he told them anything. There was an event after the above where Anderson was picked up for 72 hours but was released early. There was also a time when they went to a counselor, the counselor contacted the police afterwards. The police went to the home as they were contacted by the counselor and wanted to hold him for 72 hours... the grandmother Pam would not let him be taken. The event leading up to Anderson's arrest was that he threatened to kill my brother and his wife. He had guns in the house, along with ammunition-they fled the house in fear of their fives. Jonathan's wife Pam was told my brother had given him $30,000 recently; much of which went to his purchase of two 3D printers - on which he was making guns. One of which arrived at the house after his arrest and was returned. My brother lived in a virtual prison -even the neighbors would not come near their home due to the shouting and atmosphere. My brother and his wife moved to Florida shortly after all the commotion that led to Anderson's arrest. We feel certain that if Anderson is freed that he will hurt or murder my brother and his wife. We believe that my brother, and his wife, would undergo bodily harm or more if Anderson were released. Besides being incarcerated, we believe Anderson needs therapy and counseling."