A CNN anchor refused to refer the suspect behind the Colorado Springs gay nightclub massacre by their preferred pronouns, although the shooter’s lawyer’s request that their client be addressed by they/them pronouns in court.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, appeared bruised and out of it in their first court appearance for the shooting rampage at Club Q gay nightclub, which killed five and wounded 17 more on Nov. 19.
Aldrich’s two court appointed lawyers told the court that the accused killer, who was beaten and subdued by a US Army veteran, identified as non-binary.
CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota was clearly skeptical about the suspect’s gender identity, but despite working for the liberal media outlet, deliberately misgendered Aldrich in her reporting.
“So, attorneys for the accused shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, say in new court filings tonight that the suspect now identifies as non-binary,” she began during a Wednesday night broadcast.
Camerota read a footnote from the attorney’s motion to assert legal privileges that stated Aldrich used they/them pronouns and would be addressed as Mx. Aldrich in all future legal filings.
“I don’t know what to say about that, I mean, that’s not anything that we had heard from his background, you know people have been looking into his background,” she said while intentionally misgendering Aldrich.
“I don’t know what to say about that, I mean, that’s what he’s now saying,” she told panel members Errol Lewis, Al Franken, and Joe Walsh.
“It sounds like they’re trying to prepare a defense against a hate crimes charge,” Lewis speculated.
“That’s the least of his problems legally speaking, but it looks like they’re trying to build some kind of sympathy, or at least confusion on the question of whether or not this was purely motivated by hate.”
“That is what it sounds like,” Camerota concurred. “We’ll have to wait to see.”
Social media went wild over the notoriously woke network’s blatant disregard for someone’s gender identity, when it doesn’t fit their narrative.
“Notice how they no longer have a tolerance for pronouns,” one person commented.
“Are they doubting what Mx identifies as? I thought we weren’t allowed to question they/them,” another wrote.
“I’m shocked and appalled that you misgendered Mx Aldrich in your broadcast,” someone directed at Camerota. “It’s ‘they/them’, not ‘he’. Please do better.”
Mx. Aldrich, who had to be prodded by their lawyers to stay present during the five-minute hearing, will next appear in court on Dec. 6, for the slaying of Raymond Green Vance, 22, Daniel Aston, 28, Ashley Paugh, 35, Derrick Rump, 38, and Kelly Loving, 40.
Aldrich’s weakened state was a result of Army veteran Rich Fierro springing into action on Saturday, when they allegedly went on a shooting rampage with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle in the beloved local club.
Fierro, who served three tours in Iraq and a fourth in Afghanistan, was at Club Q with his daughter, her boyfriend, and several friends to see a drag show for one member of the group’s birthday.
When the first gunshots rang out, he ducked to avoid fire, and pushed a friend down to the ground with him. Once he had body armor clad Aldrich in his sights, the combat veteran charged and yanked them to the ground.
“It’s the reflex. Go! Go to the fire. Stop the action. Stop the activity. Don’t let no one get hurt. I tried to bring everybody back,” Fierro recalled.
Another patron, Thomas James, helped secure the assault rifle, and both men rained down punches and kicks as Aldrich tried to reach for a side arm, which Fierro snatched away and bludgeoned them in the head with.
“I tried to finish him,” the former soldier remarked. However, despite Fierro’s heroic efforts, his daughter’s boyfriend, Raymond Vance, was killed before he ould take Aldrich down.
“There are five people that I could not help. And one of which was family to me,” he said in anguish. “I’m gonna see that guy in court, and that guy’s gonna see who did him.”