Following that incident and Aldrich’s identification as the suspect, many among the public began to question why the previously dropped charges had not triggered Colorado’s red flag law, which could have led to Aldrich’s weapons being seized by authorities.
The Incident
On June 18, 2021, the El Paso Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from Aldrich’s grandmother, Pamela Pullen, who claimed that he was making a bomb in the basement of their home. She also said that he had told her he was going to be the “next mass killer” and that he had been collecting and storing ammunition, firearms, and bullet-proof body armor in the basement.According to the police report, Pullen said Aldrich had been set off when she and his grandfather suggested they all move to Florida.
“You guys die today, and I’m taking you with me,” Aldrich allegedly responded, pointing a gun at his grandparents. “I’m loaded and ready. You’re not calling anyone.”
Aldrich’s grandparents managed to flee the home and call the police, and Aldrich was later arrested at his mother’s home after a standoff with the police.
Charges Dropped
Although Aldrich was initially held on a $1 million bond, Allen noted that the bond was lowered to $100,000 at a bond modification hearing in which Aldrich’s family members—the victims of his alleged crimes—came to his defense.“His mother at that hearing described him as ‘loving’ and ‘passionate,’” Allen said. “His grandmother described him as ‘a sweet young man’ and [said] that he did not deserve to be in jail. The grandfather described him as ‘unusually bright’ and ‘someone who will take advantage of a second chance.’”
Aldrich bonded out of jail on Aug. 7, 2021, and on Jan. 27—after waiving a preliminary hearing and continuing his arraignment twice—he formally entered a not-guilty plea.
As trial preparations moved forward, however, by July 5, neither the prosecution nor the defense had been successful in serving Aldrich’s grandparents with subpoenas to appear in court.
“These witnesses have basically been avoiding everyone,” Aldrich’s legal team said, according to Allen.
Impact on Club Q
In his Thursday remarks, Allen stated that, under a search warrant, weapons had been seized from Aldrich’s home following the bomb threat incident, including a handgun with no specified serial number, model, or make and a semi-automatic rifle.“It’s important to note that both of those weapons are still in the custody of the sheriff’s office today,” he added, specifying that they have been kept as evidence.
Allen also said that he believed prosecuting the 2021 incident would not have prevented the Club Q shooting, noting that Aldrich was prohibited from lawfully obtaining a gun throughout the 383 days his case was pending.
As for why an “extreme risk protection order” (ERPO), or red flag order, was not filed, he explained that filing felony charges achieves the same goal, as mandatory protection orders automatically take effect in those cases.
“We know from many years of experience that a piece of paper in the form of a mandatory protection order, or even a civil protection order, will not stop someone who is intent on hurting someone,” Allen said.
He also noted that the filing of ERPO petitions is a process of civil, not criminal, law and that under current law, district attorneys are not legally permitted to file them.
Lastly, Allen said he believed the prosecution of the 2021 case would not have prevented the Club Q shooting but added that he was unable to elaborate further on why due to the ongoing investigation.
“You’re just going to have to accept that statement that it would not have prevented Club Q,” he told one reporter. “Obviously, the firearms seized in that [2021] case are still in our possession. You can take that and I think extrapolate out to what that means.”
