United States
Court hearing after deadly attack in US nightclub
Dallas Dutka of Broomfield prays at a makeshift memorial in front of the popular Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs. photo
© David Zalubowski/AP/dpa
After the bloody crime in an LGBTQ community nightclub that left five dead, the person allegedly responsible for the crime testified in court. The Attorney General believes hatred is a motive.
The person suspected of opening fire at a Colorado nightclub popular with gay, lesbian and trans communities has made his first appearance in court via video link. At the appointment in Colorado Springs on Wednesday, the judge ordered A. to remain in custody without bail, as reported by US media. The next hearing is scheduled for December 6th. It is expected that the final charges will then be known.
The defense lawyers stated that A. was non-binary – meaning that he did not clearly define himself as male or female. A. wants with “Mx. A.” are addressed, a footnote in the court filing said, preferring the pronouns “they/them”. A. sat slumped in a chair during the hearing, as seen on video. It is still unclear whether A. will also have to answer for hate crimes in court – so far this has been listed as a preliminary charge.
According to the police, A. (22) entered the club with an assault rifle and a handgun and immediately opened fire. According to the police, two people present in the club intervened and stopped A.. There was initially no official information about the motive for the crime. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said he found it hard to imagine a motive other than hate.
Prosecutor Michael Allen emphasized that A.’s gender identity does not change anything. “It has no bearing on how I am pursuing this case,” Allen was quoted as saying by CNN. “I want them to know that we will be the voice of the victims in the courtroom and that we will fight alongside them throughout the process,” he said, referring to the family.