Colorado Springs suspect’s father makes homophobic remarks in interview

The father of the suspected Colorado Springs shooter has provoked a backlash over comments he made over the armed attack on LGTBQ+ bar that killed five and wounded 17.

In a series of interviews, Aaron Brink told San Diego's CBS8 that when he first received a telephone call from his child's public defender, his first reaction was to question why his child was in the club.

His comments sparked anger online, condemning Brink for relief that his child was "only a mass murderer and not a homosexual".

Brink, a mixed martial arts coach, told CBS8 that he had taught his child to fight, saying he had offered praise "for violent behavior really early. I told him it works. It is instant and you'll get immediate results."

The alleged attacker, identified in court papers as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, was ordered held without bail in an initial court appearance on Wednesday. The suspect sat slumped over in a chair, showing bruises to their face and neck apparently sustained during a violent apprehension by patrons at the club.

Prosecutors have not yet filed formal charges. Defense attorneys have said the suspect is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.

Of 17 people injured by gunshots in the attack, 11 remained hospitalized late on Wednesday, officials said. Those who were killed in the attack have been named as Raymond Green Vance, 22; Ashley Paugh, 35; Daniel Aston, 28; Kelly Loving, 40; and Derrick Rump, 38.