Five Killed at LGBTQ+ Nightclub

Maureen Lynch 

Editor in Chief 

On November 19, an LGBTQ+ nightclub was the subject of another mass shooting. The assailant, who is now in custody, killed at least five and wounded about two dozen others. The Club Q shooting comes as one of two recent mass shootings in the past few weeks. 

The Colorado Springs Police first got a 911 call at around 11:56 pm, according to CNN. The report showed that in six minutes, officers arrived on the scene and detained the gunman. According to NBC News, Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, was taken into custody as the prime suspect in the case. His mother has also recently been arrested, being charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. 

When Aldrich began to open fire in the club, several patrons attempted to subdue him. According to CNN, retired army veteran, Richard M. Fierro tackled Aldrich with the help of Thomas James, a fellow patron at the club that night. 

According to The Guardian, Club Q was the epicenter for the LGBTQ+ community in the Colorado Springs region. It not only provided patrons with a place for entertainment, but also a safe meeting point and resource center for the community’s LGBTQ+ population. The club was also responsible for hosting the city’s annual Pride events, according to Th Guardian. 

Now, it is unclear whether Club Q will be able to regain the fun-loving atmosphere it was once known for. The club will be closed until further notice, according to their website. As for Aldrich, he is currently being held without bail. According to NBC News, he has been charged with “first-degree murder and five counts of committing those crimes as part of a bias attack.” 

People who were attacked at the club the night of Nov. 19 may be able to gain compensation, according to the district attorney’s office. For now, residents of the Colorado Springs area are mourning the loss of friends and neighbors who were killed that night.