Brave Patrons Helped Stop The Colorado Springs Nightclub Shooting

Just before midnight on Nov. 19, 2022, a 22-year-old gunman went into Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, and opened fire, killing five people and injuring over two dozen others.

Officials have identified the five people murdered in the shooting as Kelly Loving, 40; Ashley Paugh, 35, Daniel Aston, 28, Raymond Green Vance, 22, and Derrick Wayne Rump, 38.

Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez identified the suspect as Anderson Lee Aldrich. According to The Washington Post, he is now facing five murder charges and five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury. Those were the arrest charges, and the prosecutors are likely to file criminal charges.

Vasquez shared that a long rifle was used in the shooting, and two firearms were found at the nightclub. The alleged killer was stopped that night by patrons of the nightclub. At least two acted to stop his murder spree, including retired Army Major Richard Fierro, who pistol-whipped the 'Club Q' shooter. According to CNN, while Fierro was hitting the suspect with a gun, another person jumped in and kicked the suspect with their high heels.

Mayor John Suthers told TODAY that the attack, which took place the day before the Transgender Day of Remembrance, has “all the trappings of a hate crime, but we need to look at social media, we need to look at all kinds of other information that we’re gathering from people that knew the individual before we make any definitive conclusions about a motivation. But it certainly, as I say, has the trappings of a hate crime.”

“We are a strong community that has shown resilience in the face of hate and violence in the past, and we will do that again. As a community, we will provide for the victims and witnesses of this horrific event and law enforcement will pursue this case with the zealousness that the case deserves,” Suthers shared.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has called for flags to be lowered to half-staff at all public buildings statewide in honor of the shooting victims. This started on Monday and will go through Saturday, reported a news release.

Polis stated, “Flags will be lowered for five days to remember each of the five individuals who lost their lives in this senseless tragedy. To further honor and remember the victims and those injured in this tragedy, the Polis-Primavera administration will also be flying the Pride flag at the Colorado state capitol for the next five days.”