Colorado Springs Mass Shooting: 'Hate Attack' Left 5 Dead, 18 Wounded At LGBTQ+ Nightclub Club Q

On Saturday night, a mass shooter targeted a Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ nightclub, Club Q, killing five people and wounding 18.

Source: JASON CONNOLLY / Getty

AP reports the shooter opened fire from a "long rifle" as soon as he entered the club.

Police say a 22-year-old gunman walked into a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs and immediately began firing from a "long rifle," killing at least five people. Two heroic patrons confronted the gunman and stopped the shooting, police said. https://t.co/SJHTZ3l09s

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 20, 2022

One of the victims described hearing the attack unfold after he ran for his life and hid in a dressing room. A man named Joshua said the attack stole the lives of innocent victims and the only sense of safety the LGBTQ community had in Colorado Springs.

"It means so much because this is our only safe space here in The Springs. For this to get shot up, what are we going to do now? Where are we going to go?" Joshua said, overwhelmed with shock and loss.

"Yeah, we can rebuild and come together. What about those people that lost their lives for no reason? The other 18 that were injured. I could have been one of them. How are we going to feel safe in our city? This was the only LGBTQ+ space in the entire city of Colorado Springs," he continued. "And now, it's shattered."

Joshua was inside Club Q when the gunman entered. He ran and hid. Heard the gunman being "beat up." Tells @BeedieonTV "This was our only safe space in The Springs. Where are we gonna go?"#LGBTQ #ClubQ pic.twitter.com/ZkijarxZoc

— Josh Helmuth KRDO (@Jhelmuth) November 20, 2022

The suspected shooter is in custody

Colorado Springs Police Lt. Pamela Castro said first responders arrived minutes after the first reports of a shooting at 11:57 p.m. The suspected shooter is in custody and receiving medical treatment after brave patrons subdued him.

"They did locate one individual who we believe to be the suspect inside. At this point in time, the suspect is being treated, but is in custody," Castro said at an early morning press conference.

Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich. In 2021, a woman reported her son with the same name and age for threatening her with "a homemade bomb, multiple weapons and ammunition."

Like many other massacres, Club Q may have been prevented if the justice system had taken domestic and gendered-based violence seriously. According to a 2021 study, two-thirds of mass shootings are linked to domestic violence. A man who would threaten to shoot his mother shouldn't have had access to firearms in the first place.

The FBI is providing assistance to the Colorado Springs Police Department, which is the lead agency. https://t.co/2U4LL0fEqz

— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) November 20, 2022

The FBI confirmed that it was on the scene to assist the Colorado Springs PD in the investigation. The Justice Department confirmed that Attorney General Merrick Garland has already been briefed on the shooting.

A "hate attack" on the LGBTQ+ community

Police officials could not yet confirm a motive, but the club referred to it as a "hate attack" in a social media post.

"Club Q is devastated by the senseless attack on our community. Our prays and thoughts are with all the victims and their families and friends. We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack," the statement said.

El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen said investigators are still determining whether the attack qualifies as a hate crime. Public opinion has reached this conclusion following a rise in violent homophobic and transphobic rhetoric. Local residents describe Club Q as a small gay club that featured a "Diva Drag Show" on Saturdays.

I used to go to Club Q with friends every week. It's not a big club. That many victims is like half the total amount i used to see there. It's not exactly out in the open. It would have to be sought out. Anyone trying to say we don't know if this is a hate crime is delusional.

— Jupiter Star: Sabrina Zirakzadeh ?????? (@jupiter_star) November 20, 2022

18 injured and 5 dead in a mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, CO. Today is Trans Day of Remembrance. Transphobic rhetoric in the US has been rising dramatically in the past year, and this bar was hosting several trans-friendly events this weekend. This is heartbreaking.

— Kade, slapper of the bass ???? #100devs (@SinnamonCronch) November 20, 2022

The club planned to host an "All Ages Musical Drag Brunch" and "Let's Do Drag" showcase to celebrate Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday. The day intended to honor lives lost to anti-transgender violence now carries fresh trauma and grief. Club Q's website stated it will remain closed until further notice. This year, 59% of known victims were Black.

Breaking my self-imposed Twitter silence to offer some context for last night's mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs. Since early 2021, the right has increasingly mobilized against the queer community, with drag shows being a particular focal point. https://t.co/D16Js24co4 pic.twitter.com/8to96lD4CT

— Jay Ulfelder (@JayUlfelder) November 20, 2022

This tragedy evokes past hate crimes like the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016. Normalized hate, like an Idaho pastor calling for the government to execute gay and transgender people, only emboldens these domestic terrorists.



via: https://bossip.com/2192475/club-q-mass-shooting-colorado-springs/