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Colorado Springs nightclub shooting
Part of mass shootings in the United States and
violence against LGBT people in the United States
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Club Q
Club Q
LocationClub Q, Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
DateNovember 19–20, 2022
c. 11:56 p.m.[1] – 12:02 a.m. (MST)
TargetPatrons of Club Q
Attack type
Mass shooting
WeaponsSemi-automatic rifle
Handgun[2][3]
Deaths5
Injured26 (including the suspect; 19 by gunfire)
DefendersTwo patrons
MotiveUnder investigation
AccusedAnderson Lee Aldrich[4]
Charges
  • Murder (x5)
  • Committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury (x5)

On November 19–20, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. Five people were killed, and 25 others were injured, 19 of them by gunfire. The suspect, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, was also injured and taken to a local hospital.[3][5][6][7]

Background

Club Q opened in 2002 and was for a time the only LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the state's second-most populous city with a population of just under 500,000.[8] A 2021 article by Denver-based magazine 5280 noted the club to be a place "where LGBTQ folks [went] for drag performances, dance parties, and drinks."[8][9] The shooting occured on the eve of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.[3]

Shooting

According to the police chief, the shooting began when a gunman entered Club Q while a dance party was being held. Wearing body armor and wielding an AR-15 style rifle,[10] he immediately began shooting at people while moving further into the building. Many survivors at first mistook the gunfire for being a part of the music, until they continued and saw the muzzle flash.[11] Club patrons sheltered behind the bar and in dressing rooms, while others stayed low to the ground.[12] A club patron tackled him and another grabbed a handgun from the gunman and hit him with it, then held him down before authorities arrived.[7][13][14]

Police received an initial call for service regarding the shooting at 11:56 p.m. on November 19, with the first officer being dispatched a minute later. The first responding officer arrived in the area at 12:00 midnight and arrested the suspect two minutes later. A total of thirty-nine patrol officers from all four divisions of the Colorado Springs Police Department, along with thirty-four firefighters and eleven ambulances, responded to the scene.[1][7] The suspect was in custody within about five minutes after the first 911 call.[11] After the shooting stopped many were at first reluctant to leave from hiding spots as they were unsure if the shooter was reloading or had been stopped.[12]

The injured were transported to three hospitals: seven to Penrose Hospital, ten to Memorial Hospital Central, and two to Memorial Hospital North. Some ambulances had to transport up to three patients at a time, and a few police cruisers had to transport victims as well.[1]

Victims

Five people were killed and twenty-five were injured in the shooting, of which nineteen were by gunfire. At least one of the deceased victims was an employee of the club.[15]

Aftermath

A vigil was held on November 20 with standing room only at the All Souls Unitarian Church, which was also attended by several members of the City Council.[11] Donation drives were set up shortly after the shooting from both local organizations and GoFundMe fundraisers for the victims and their families.[16]

Suspect

The suspect was identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, a 22-year-old resident of Colorado Springs,[17] the grandson of outgoing Republican California state assembly member Randy Voepel.[18] On June 18, 2021, Aldrich, then 21, was arrested after his mother reported him to have issued a bomb threat against her; Aldrich did not surrender initially, and in the resulting standoff, neighboring homes had to be evacuated.[7][19][20] However, no charges were pursued in the case, which was sealed.[7][21] After the shooting, Aldrich was charged with five counts of murder and five counts of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury.

Responses

The club said on social media that customers subdued the gunman, that it was "devastated by the senseless attack on our community", and that it offered condolences to the victims and their families.[13] President Joe Biden stated that "While no motive in this attack is yet clear, we know that the LGBTQI+ community has been subjected to horrific hate violence in recent years". Gun violence and hate crime are continue to rise to impact the world.[22]

The El Paso County government said, "We are deeply saddened by the senseless shooting that occurred early this morning in Colorado Springs at Club Q" and sent condolences to support victim's families.[23] Governor Jared Polis, the nation's first openly gay governor, said, "We are eternally grateful for the brave individuals who blocked the gunman likely saving lives in the process".[3] After issuing a statement about the shooting in which she offered her prayers to those affected and called for the lawless violence to end, Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was criticized by many Democratic politicians who highlighted her hypocrisy from past comments that were reportedly anti-LGBTQ while blocking gun safety laws.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Ferguson, Sarah (November 20, 2022). "Timeline: Club Q shooting emergency response". KXRM-TV. Retrieved November 20, 2022.((cite news)): CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Slawson, Nicola (November 21, 2022). "'Heroic' Patrons of Colorado Springs Club Praised by Police". The Guardian. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Levenson, Eric; Watson, Michelle; Rose, Andy (November 20, 2022). "Gunman kills 5 at LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs before patrons confront and stop him, police say". CNN. Retrieved November 20, 2022.((cite news)): CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Bedayn, Jesse; Peipert, Thomas (November 21, 2022). "Gay bar shooting suspect facing murder, hate crime charges". Associated Press. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  5. ^ Roscoe, Matthew (November 20, 2022). "BREAKING UPDATE: Five dead after mass shooting at Colorado Springs gay nightclub". EuroWeekly News. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  6. ^ Watson, Michelle (November 20, 2022). "Number of people wounded in Colorado Springs mass shooting increases to 25". CNN. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e Tucker, Emma; Levenson, Eric; Watson, Michelle; Rose, Andy; Vera, Amir (November 20, 2022). "What we know about the Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub shooting". CNN. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Levenson, Eric (November 20, 2022). "Until recently, Club Q was the only LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs". CNN. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  9. ^ Smith, Alissa (June 7, 2021). "A New LGBTQ Bar Is Changing the Narrative in Colorado Springs". 5280. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  10. ^ Dress, Brad (November 20, 2022). "What we know about the Colorado Springs nightclub shooting suspect". The Hill. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Miller, Susan; Stanton, Cady; Ortiz, Jorge L; Jervis, Rick; Collins, Terry (November 21, 2022). "'Heroic' patrons subdued attacker during deadly Colorado LGBTQ nightclub shooting: Updates". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Helling, Steve (November 21, 2022). "Colorado Springs Survivor Recounts Terror of LGBTQ Club Shooting: 'All I Could Think of Was Pulse'". Peoplemag. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Bubola, Emma; Smith, Mitch (November 20, 2022). "Patrons Subdued Gunman Who Killed at Least 5 at Colorado Club: Live Updates". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  14. ^ Tobias, Ben; Maishman, Elsa (November 20, 2022). "Club Q Colorado shooting: Suspect held after five killed in attack at nightclub". BBC News. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  15. ^ Grant, Teddy (November 20, 2022). "What we know about the Colorado Springs mass shooting victims". ABC News. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  16. ^ Hernandez, Elizabeth (November 20, 2022). "Here's where you can donate to Club Q victims, their families and survivors". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  17. ^ Beedle, Heidi (November 20, 2022). "5 Dead Following CO Springs Shooting at LGBTQ Nightclub". Colorado Times Recorder. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  18. ^ "Two barmen among the dead in mass shooting at gay nightclub in Colorado". The Guardian. November 20, 2022.
  19. ^ D'Angelo, Bob (November 20, 2022). "5 killed, 18 hurt in shooting at gay nightclub in Colorado Springs; suspect identified". WHIO-TV. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  20. ^ "Evacuation order lifted for Lorson Ranch neighborhood". KXRM. June 18, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  21. ^ Nevins, Brooke; McKinley, Carol (November 20, 2022). "Anderson Lee Aldrich, Colorado Springs mass shooting suspect, may have had earlier run-ins with police". The Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  22. ^ "'We are devastated': Officials react to deadly mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs". KOAA News 5. November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  23. ^ "El Paso County Statement on Shooting in Colorado Springs". El Paso County, Colorado (Press release). November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  24. ^ Adragna, Anthony (November 21, 2022). "Democrats slammed Lauren Boebert after the far-right firebrand tweeted condolences following a mass shooting a gay bar in Colorado Springs". www.politico.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
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