Colorado Springs shooting suspect’s troubled past was obscured by a name change, records show
At age 15, he became the target of a particularly vicious bout of online bullying in which insulting accusations were posted to a website, along with his name, photos and online aliases, according to a review of the site by The Washington Post. At some point, a YouTube account was created under his name, featuring a crude, profanity-laden animation under the title, “Asian homosexual gets molested.
Whether the events of Aldrich’s childhood had any bearing on Saturday’s horrific violence is unknown. But Aldrich’s earlier existence as Nicholas Brink, reported for the first time, offers possible answers to several key mysteries surrounding the suspected gunman.Advertisement, one that prompted a partial evacuation of the Colorado Springs neighborhood where his mother lived at the time.
Until now, no formal charges have been filed, and police remained tight-lipped about key details of the case. On Monday, Michael J. Allen, the district attorney for the area that includes Colorado Springs, said that Aldrich was likely to face murder and “bias-motivated” charges in connection with his arrest. Allen said formal charges were forthcoming.Speaking at a news conference, Allen said records from the Club Q case had been placed under seal.
Colorado Springs authorities said Nov. 21 that they are still investigating the motive, but they "do not tolerate bias-motivated crimes" in their community. In 2019, Colorado’s legislature passed a red-flag law, which gave citizens and police departments the ability to petition a judge to have a Colorado resident’s weapons confiscated if the petitioner demonstrates that person is a danger to themselves or others.New details about Aldrich’s 2021 incident emerged on Monday, shedding light on his disturbing behavior at the time.
Brink was born in 2000 as the only son of Aaron and Laura Brink, of Orange, Calif., and a year later, in July 2001, the couple separated. Their divorce was finalized in September 2001, court records showed. Brink’s maternal grandfather is state Rep. Randy Voepel, a Republican assemblyman who in the past has aligned himself with the tea party movement and spoken in favor of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
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