After the fatal attack at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the first details about the perpetrator are becoming known. The - or the - defendant describes himself as a non-binary person.
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, the judge ordered that A. should 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, the 22-year-old A. entered the club with an assault rifle and a handgun and immediately opened fire. Two people present in the club stepped in 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.
US media reports that A. had a difficult childhood. As a baby, his/her name was Nicholas Brink. However, the parents separated when A. was two years old. Both parents had drug problems. As a teenager, A. took on a new name. A.'s father, who says he was a former porn actor and is now a martial arts coach, told CBS that he "praised" his son for violent behavior as a child. "I told him it worked," he said. The father told the New York Times that he had also expressed his strong aversion to homosexuals to his son. On CBS he said, "There are no gays in the Mormon Church."
On Saturday, Club Q celebrated the day of remembrance for the "victims of transphobia" with a drag queen show, among other things. November 20 is celebrated worldwide as "Transgender Day of Remembrance". The English abbreviation LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.
