Colorado Springs, CO. Shortly before midnight last night, a 22-year-old gunman, identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, opened fire at Club Q, a LGBTQ+ nightclub. This incident led to the deaths of 5 people and left 25 more injured. Upon firing his weapon, the gunman was confronted by two people inside of the club, which likely prevented even more loss of life. 

The suspect used a long rifle, as reported by Adrian Vasquez Chief of Colorado Springs Police. Two other firearms were found at the scene. 

The violence lasted only a few minutes, as police arrived shortly after midnight. The suspect was detained at 12:02 am. 39 patrol officers reported to the scene, and a total of 11 ambulances were dispatched to the nightclub. Of the 25 people injured, “several are in critical condition with gunshot wounds,” according to CNN. 

The Colorado Springs Police noted that deadly force was not used to apprehend the suspect. They have also stated that police are investigating whether or not the attack was a hate crime. “Club Q is a safe haven for our LGBTQ citizens. Every citizen has a right to feel safe and secure in our city, to go about our beautiful city without fear of being harmed or treated poorly,” Vasquez said. 

Today, Sunday, November 20, is Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is used as a day for people in and out of the community to celebrate the lives of transrights activists and transgender people who were lost as a result of discrimination. Club Q was holding a dance party at the time of the shooting and planned to hold a drag brunch this morning in celebration of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Now, the club’s website says it will be closed until further notice. 

Colorado Springs, with just under 500,000 residents, is the headquarters for Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group that claims homosexuality and same-sex marriage are sins. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Colorado since October 7, 2014. 

Club Q, was the only LGBTQ club in the city up until recently. The owners said that the whole idea of the club was to have a permanent safe space in the city. The club hosted events for people of all ages, including the aforementioned brunch and an upcoming Thanksgiving event. 

This shooting comes after multiple major blows to progressive movements to normalize LGBTQ+ identifying people. Following this event, multiple activist groups and celebrities are pointing to laws like the dubbed, “Don’t Say Gay,” bill in Florida that bars the teaching of LGBTQ+ topics in schools to show why there continues to be so much stigma against the LGBTQ+ community.

The Aztec News Team stands in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Some of our writers and editors identify as part of the community, and it greatly helps us understand more about queer and LGBTQ+ culture. We openly condemn any act of violence, especially one directed towards those who are marginalized and in need of protection.