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The suspect in the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs is the grandson of outgoing California Republican State Assemblymember Randy Voepel, the former mayor of Santee, California who once compared the January 6 insurrection to the Revolutionary War.
At one point, Voepel aligned himself with the Tea Party Movement, arguing the Republican Party was too liberal.
But following the attack on the United States Capitol—which took place after a mob of former Republican President Donald Trump's supporters attacked the nation's seat of government on the false premise the 2020 general election had been stolen—Voepel made headlines for sharing his thoughts on the event.
In an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune mere days after the attack, Voepel said:
"This is Lexington and Concord. First shots fired against tyranny. Tyranny will follow in the aftermath of the Biden swear in on January 20th."
Voepel's remarks, while not entirely a surprise, bring to mind the now-infamous "1776" tweet from Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert.
Boebert—like many who have backed the insurrectionists—suggested the attack on the Capitol was orchestrated by "patriots" opposed to liberal politics which they've likened to the tyranny the former American colonies contended with under British rule.
\u201cToday is 1776.\u201d— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert) 1609939830
Voepel's comments proved so contentious he faced calls he be expelled from the California State Assembly.
While an expulsion ultimately did not happen, redistricting placed him into a new district with another member of the state Assembly Marie Waldron to whom he lost reelection by a wide margin.
The news of the shooters family ties sparked an outcry from advocates furious over the shooting.
Hate and advocating violence appears to run in the family.
\u201cIt looks like the reports about the hate that the Colorado shooter was raised around are true. The intersection of hate, guns, and MAGA is a deadly mix. As this shooter is investigating, I hope law enforcement pursues this all the way up the family tree.\nhttps://t.co/3DwlpO4IPV\u201d— Fred Guttenberg (@Fred Guttenberg) 1669041805
\u201cRepublicans such as MAGA QAnon terrorists Lauren Boebert, MTG and Madison Cawthorn are who help to radicalize mass shooters like the one in Colorado Springs, especially when that shooter has a grandpa named Randy Voepel who is a supporter of insurrection. Real indoctrination.\u201d— Ricky Davila (@Ricky Davila) 1669044654
\u201cThe Colorado Springs nightclub shooter is the grandson of this guy: MAGA Republican CA Rep. Randy Voepel, who supported 1/6 & compared it to the Revolutionary War.\n\nTurns out if you\u2019re raised around hate & taught that political violence is ok, you might become a mass murderer. \ud83e\udd14\u201d— Nick Knudsen \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Nick Knudsen \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1669050223
\u201cThe #ClubQ shooter that targeted and murdered gay people is the grandson of California Asm. Randy Voepel. (R)\nNow tell me again how the Maga republicans are not responsible for the surge of hate and deaths in this country. Please? I\u2019m Fn waiting? #RepublicansAreDestroyingAmerica\u201d— \ud83d\udcff\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08Henry Amador-Batten (@\ud83d\udcff\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08Henry Amador-Batten) 1668993084
\u201cThe Colorado Springs gay nightclub shooter the grandson of California MAGA state assemblyman Randy Voepel. Randy supported the January 6 insurrection.\n\nGuess we know where the murderer was radicalized.\u201d— Ricky Davila (@Ricky Davila) 1669004280
\u201cHe\u2019s also the grandson of MAGA Republican Representative Randy Voepel, who supported Trump\u2019s Jan 6 terrorist attack and likened it to \u201cLexington and Concord\u201d\n\nReminiscent of when NRA fiend Lauren Boebert likened the insurrection to \u201c1776\u201d\n\nBirds of a feather terrorize together\u201d— Lindy Li (@Lindy Li) 1669016437
\u201cSo, the Colorado Springs shooter who left 5 dead and many wounded at a gay nightclub is reportedly the grandson of MAGA outgoing state representative Randy Voepel (who supported the January 6 insurrection, and said shortly after it, that "tyranny would follow"). \nShocking. Not.\u201d— Duty To Warn \ud83d\udd09 (@Duty To Warn \ud83d\udd09) 1668995588
\u201cPeople like @RandyVoepel are the face of white nationalist domestic terrorism. They form the environment that coaxes people like his grandson to slaughter civilians.\n\nThey do it at home as role models and they do it professionally as far-right white nationalist politicians.\u201d— Graham the Cat - @GrahamTheCat@mastodon.online (@Graham the Cat - @GrahamTheCat@mastodon.online) 1668988687
\u201cRandy Voepel was the California State Assemblyman for Santee, which is East County San Diego. San Diegans call it \u201cKlan Tee\u201d for good reason.\u201d— Shawn Williams (@Shawn Williams) 1668977897
The alleged shooter—a resident of Colorado Springs—refused to cooperate with local authorities.
He was charged with ten felony counts—five counts of murder and five counts of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury. Five people died during the attack and at least 25 others were injured, most of them by gunfire.
The alleged killer previously ran afoul of the law and was reported to the police by his mother in June 2021 after she said he had made a bomb threat against her.
No charges were pursued in the case—which was later sealed—despite his failure to surrender resulting in a standoff with law enforcement that prompted authorities to order the evacuation of homes in the vicinity.
The prior case raised the ire of gun control advocates, who pointed out the killer’s actions did not result in either police or relatives triggering Colorado's "red flag" law, which would have allowed for the seizure of any weapons and ammo he had in his possession.