5 People Killed, 18 Injured In Mass Shooting At LGBTQ Nightclub In Colorado Springs
Authorities have detained the 22-year-old suspect and are still working to find a motive for what many believe is a hate crime.
At least five people were killed an additional 18 others injured in a mass shooting at LGBTQ nightclub Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, last night.
Authorities started receiving 911 calls around 11:56 p.m., according to local news outlet CBS KKTV. The first officer reportedly arrive around midnight, and the 22-year-old suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, was detained at 12:02 a.m. and taken to a hospital for injuries sustained during the attack. Authorities are still investigating a motive.
“Club Q is devastated by the senseless attack on our community,” the venue’s management said on Facebook. “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.”
Hours before the LGBTQ club was attacked, the venue had posted on Facebook about a planned an all ages drag brunch on Sunday morning as part of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors the lives of transgender people who lost their lives to anti-transgender violence.
Again, while a motive is still being sought out, members of the LGBTQ community could not help but notice this concurrence. Coloradans, like the rest of the U.S., have also been fighting an uphill battle for LGBTQ rights.
And those who have been following Colorado’s state legislation closely, the motive feels starkly clear. “The last year has seen a concerted effort to demonize LGBTQ people as ‘groomers’ or worse. CSPD has not released a motive for last night’s shooting, but for queer people it seems like a natural consequence off the political environment,” tweeted Colorado Times Recorder reporter Heidi Beedle.
"The motive of the crime is part of the investigation and whether this was a hate crime is part of that investigation," Colorado Springs Police Department Deputy Chief Adrian Vasquez said.
At least two guns were recovered from the scene, and authorities believe the gunman used a rifle in the shooting. Vasquez said that the police department was still determining whether or not the other gun also belonged to the suspect.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, this is the 601st mass shooting in the United States this year.
