Anderson Lee Aldrich’s sentence came after he pleaded guilty to 74 federal hate crime charges and gun charges in connection with the shooting. Prosecutors chose not to pursue the death penalty in the case, and the US Department of Justice announced in January it had reached a plea agreement with Aldrich.
” Wyatt Kent, who performed as a drag queen the night of the shooting, said it was difficult to prepare this statement during Pride Month, but pointed to the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. “I forgive you,” Kent said. “We, the queer community, we are the resilient ones. We continue to hold that beauty within each other. We continue to find joy in the trauma and in the pain.” “Unfortunately,” Kent said, “those are things you will never experience for the rest of your life.