The survivors of the massacre in a Colorado Springs gay nightclub have criticized the first public comments made by the alleged shooter. On Thursday, the Associated Press published quotes from Anderson Lee Aldrich, 23, who is accused of shooting five dead and injuring 17 others in the attack at Club Q last November. The wire service also reported that victims have been given advance warning from prosecutors that Aldrich is expected to strike a plea deal in the case. “I have to take responsibility for what happened,” Aldrich said in a jailhouse phone call. Survivors who were played audio of Aldrich’s comments said they viewed them as an attempt to avoid the death penalty. Aldrich, who uses they/them pronouns, said they “just can’t believe what happened” and “I wish I could turn back time.” Aldrich also said they had “been up for days” before the attack “on a very large plethora of drugs.” Michael Anderson, who was bartending at Club Q at the time of the massacre, said: “No one has sympathy for him.”
