Liberal media outlets blamed Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson and criticism of drag shows for children for the ruthless attack on an LGBTQ nightclub Sunday night.
The New York Times and NBC News pinned the “right-wing” for the attack at Club Q in Colorado Springs where the suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, allegedly opened fire into a crowd upon entering the building. The incident killed five and injured at least 25 others.
Both outlets asserted that the shooting occurred as parents and activists have expressed concern over drag events for young children. The club reportedly scheduled a drag brunch for Sunday in honor of Trans Remembrance Day, a commemoration of transgender people who have lost their lives, according to the Times.
The New York Times said the threats targeted toward drag events were caused by over 200 conservative demonstrators in Oregon, and by the Proud Boys in California, Maryland and North Carolina. The outlet then pinned Carlson, Fox News anchor Jesse Watters, Twitter account “Libs of TikTok” and Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert for their so-called “disapproving coverage” on drag events for children.
“Events featuring performers in drag have received disapproving coverage from some of the most prominent voices on the political right, including the Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Jesse Watters, who frequently claim that the events are dangerous for children,” the Times wrote. “As Mr. Carlson spoke during one of his broadcasts, a headline on the screen read: ‘Pervy men dressed as women dance provocatively in front of child for ‘all-age’ brunch at Texas restaurant.'”
“Similar messages have been prominent on social media, including from ‘LibsofTikTok’ a right-wing influencer who has highlighted several of the drag events that have been protested,” the article continued. “Politicians have amplified the message, including Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who has spoken out against ‘drag bars’ on several occasions. On Sunday, Ms. Boebert said on Twitter that the news of the shooting at Club Q was ‘absolutely awful.'” (RELATED: ‘It Infuriates Me!’: Megyn Kelly Eviscerates Media Blaming Tucker Carlson For Buffalo Shooting)
NBC News senior reporter Brandy Zadrozny blamed “hateful and online rhetoric” for the attack on Twitter with a featured screenshot of Libs of TikTok calling out a drag organization teaching children how to perform in drag.
“Hateful and violent online rhetoric targeting LGBTQ people has been ratcheting up for months,” she wrote in the tweet. “Now, just hours after a deadly mass shooting at #ClubQ, the worst of these hate accounts, LibsofTikTok is targeting another drag event in Colorado.”
Hateful and violent online rhetoric targeting LGBTQ people has been ratcheting up for months. Now, just hours after a deadly mass shooting at #ClubQ, the worst of these hate accounts, LibsofTikTok is targeting another drag event in Colorado.
https://t.co/K7vDqVvHvK pic.twitter.com/ak0aQwxKFy— Brandy Zadrozny (@BrandyZadrozny) November 20, 2022
An NBC News article, titled “5 killed after gunman opens fire at LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs,” also argued that the shooting occurred as “right-wing activists and politicians” are targeting drag performers.
“Drag performers have become a particular target of right-wing activists and politicians, who claim they ‘groom’ children,” the article read. “Some politicians have proposed banning kids from drag events and criminally charging any parents who bring their kids to such events.”
As authorities are investigating the event as a possible hate crime, they have also learned that Aldrich was previously a suspect in a bomb threat at his mother’s house in June 2021, according to an El Paso County press release. When he allegedly threatened to set a bomb off, police arrived at the scene and ordered nearby residents to evacuate the neighborhood. Aldrich reportedly refused to comply with police, but finally exited his home and was placed under arrest. The district attorney’s office in Colorado did not press charges against the suspect, according to CNN.