Shooting at queer club in Colorado Springs kills five

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  • A gunman opened fire at Club Q on Saturday night before eventually being subdued by at least one attendee.
  • Shooting at queer club in Colorado Springs kills five image
  • A shooting at a LGBTQIA+ nightclub in Colorado Springs has left at least five people dead and at least 25 others injured, The New York Times reports. The incident took place at Club Q on Saturday, November 20th. The gunman, confirmed by police as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, entered the venue with an AR-15-style rifle and body armour before opening fire. He was subdued and tackled minutes later by at least one of the attendees. When police entered around midnight, they found the gunman pinned down. "Club Q is in shock, and in deep mourning, with the family and friends who had loved ones senselessly taken from them," the venue said in a statement. "We condemn the horrific violence that shattered an evening of celebration for all in the LGBTQ community of Colorado Springs and our allies. Club Q offers our greatest gratitude to those who moved immediately to stop the gunman and prevent more loss of life and injury. Club Q has always provided a space for LGBTQ people and our ally friends to celebrate together." Club Q, which will remain closed until further notice, was hosting a drag show followed by a club night on Saturday. On Sunday, the venue was due to throw an event for Transgender Day of Remebrance, which honours trans people murdered in transphobic attacks. At least one of the victims at Club Q was trans. Makeup artist Baylee Madison, who was a regular at Club Q, shared this post on Facebook. "Club Q was my safe space for many, many nights over many years. It was the place that taught me I could be myself, the place I found myself, the place I made so many amazing friends, the community there literally shaped me as a queer person. My heart is absolutely shattered after hearing the news of the shooting." Local police are still trying to determine the shooter's motive, though Mayor John Suthers of Colorado Springs said the incident "has all the appearances of being a hate crime." The police are also trying to confirm if the gunman—who is currently in custody after being treated in hospital—is the same Anderson Lee Aldrich who was arrested last year for threatening his mother with a bomb. Saturday's incident echoes the 2016 shooting at Orlando LGBTQIA+ club Pulse that left 49 people dead and dozens more injured. It remains the deadliest attack against the LGBTQIA+ community in the US. In the days since the shooting, Club Q has shared links to a donation page for the victims and to a drop-in centre offering counselling. "We will always speak up for and support everyone's right to be themselves and be safe," the venue's statement continued. "We demand that those who spread disgusting rhetoric and encourage violence stop this behaviour immediately before more people get hurt. We urge with everything in our heart for every person to do what they can to speak up for LGBTQ people and everyone's right to be safe." Read Club Q's statement in full, plus tweets from Colorado Governor Jared Polis and US President Joe Biden.
    Photo: KKTV 11 News
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