The death of five people at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs has brought much anguish and fear to the local and national LGBTQIA+ communities, with concerns growing that violence is a symptom of anti-gay rhetoric at large.
While the investigation continues into the attack on Sunday at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which also saw 18 others injured, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich has been arrested and named a suspect in the case, although any motive has not yet been determined.
Among the few verified reports around the tragedy was that the alleged shooter's grandfather is California Republican Assemblyman Randy Voepel. According to posts on Twitter, Voepel was said to have sent condolences after the shooting—but was the message real?
The Claim
A tweet sent on November 21, 2022, which has received more than 40,000 engagements, included what appeared to be a screenshot of a tweet from Voepel that stated "Sending my thoughts and prayers."
An accompanying message ("Just so we're clear here, Assemblyman Voepel's grandson was the mass shooter in Colorado") appears to imply Voepel's post referred to the shooting.
A subsequent tweet, sent from a separate account, suggested Voepel's message was interpreted this way, stating "This is all the empathy that the grandfather of the Colorado Springs mass murderer could muster."
The Facts
The shooting in Colorado Springs took place during a drag night at Club Q, leading many to draw a connection between the attack and some of...
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