(NewsGlobal.com)- The alleged “non-binary” suspect in the mass shooting at a Colorado gay nightclub was detained in 2021 for allegedly making a bomb threat, but that arrest did not show up on background checks and the case has been sealed.
According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office press release, on June 18, 2021, the mother of Anderson Lee Aldrich called authorities and accused her son of threatening to harm her with a homemade bomb and several weapons and ammunition.
According to the Sheriff’s Office press release, police called Aldrich after receiving his mother’s report, but he refused to surrender. Police evacuated ten homes in the area before finally convincing Aldrich to surrender five hours later.
Aldrich was then booked into the El Paso County Jail on two felony menacing charges and three charges of first-degree kidnapping.
However, Colorado Springs District Attorney Michael Allen did not pursue formal charges and the case has since been sealed.
According to the Colorado Springs paper The Gazette, after the case was dropped, the District Attorney’s Office contacted the paper in August 2021 requesting that the story about Aldrich’s arrest either be removed from its website or updated.
When the Daily Caller followed up to find out why Aldrich wasn’t formally charged in the case, Deputy District Attorney Brent Nelson said “a public criminal record does not exist.”
Privacy laws in Colorado prevent authorities from acknowledging the existence of sealed records. However, ABC News and other outlets have requested a court unseal the records related to Aldrich’s 2021 arrest.
It was reported last week, that Aldrich’s public defenders filed a motion in which they claimed their client identifies as “non-binary” and uses the pronouns “they” and “them.” The lawyers requested that Aldrich be addressed as “Mx. Aldrich” in all formal filings.
On Wednesday, Aldrich appeared in court virtually from jail where El Paso County Court Judge Charlotte Ankeny said there was “legal authority” to hold him without bond.
Judge Ankeny scheduled Aldrich’s next court appearance for December 6, however, the date may change due to a scheduling conflict with his defense counsel.
