At least 5 killed in shooting at Colorado LGBTQ nightclub
By Emma Bubola and Mitch Smith
At least five people were killed and at least 18 were injured late Saturday in a shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, officials said Sunday morning, praising patrons inside the club for subduing the gunman.
Police received an initial call about a shooting at the nightclub at 11:56 p.m., said Lt. Pamela Castro, the Colorado Springs Police Department spokesperson. Within six minutes, officers had entered the nightclub, Club Q, and had taken a suspect into custody, she said, adding that the suspect was also injured and being treated at a hospital.
The city’s police chief, Adrian Vasquez, said in a news conference that the gunman had used a long rifle. Two guns were recovered at the club, the chief said. He identified the suspect as Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, and said that officials were investigating a motive.
The injured were taken to several hospitals, Castro said, adding that some also drove themselves to seek treatment, making the exact number of injured uncertain. Not all of the injuries were from gunshot wounds, officials said.
The FBI said that it was involved in the investigation, and several Colorado lawmakers condemned the shooting. In a statement, Gov. Jared Polis praised the “brave individuals” at the nightclub who had “blocked the gunman.”
In a statement on its Facebook page, Club Q said it was “devastated by the senseless attack on our community.”
The shooting at Club Q had echoes of the 2016 massacre at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 after proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group.