'Bullies aren’t invincible': Navy officer Thomas James who tackled Club Q shooter speaks out from hospital bed
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO: West Virginias's Petty Officer 2nd Class and a Navy sailor, Thomas James, along with Army veteran Richard Fierro, 45, were hailed as heroes for saving scores of lives and stopping gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, during the Club Q mass shooting on November 19. James has spoken for the first time from Centura Penrose hospital bed where he is still recovering from unknown injuries but remains stable saying "it was for the family" and that if he could, he would save everyone "from the nonsensical acts of hate."
The accused, now-termed non-binary, went on a rampage at the LGBTQ+ club killing five people and wounding 17 more, including Fierro’s daughter’s boyfriend, Raymond Green Vance, 22. He had brought multiple firearms inside the property, including an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle. Aldrich is ordered to be held without bond on November 23 and the murder charges haven't been yet formally filed in the shooting.
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“If I had my way, I would shield everyone I could from the nonsensical acts of hate in the world, but I am only one person,” James said in a statement released by the hospital. “Thankfully, we are family, and family looks after one another. We came a long way from Stonewall. Bullies aren’t invincible,” he said, referring to the Greenwich Village bar that was the site of the 1969 riots that helped launch the gay rights movement, reported the New York Post.
“I want to support everyone who has known the pain and loss that have been all too common these past few years. My thoughts are with those we lost on Nov. 19, and those who are still recovering from their injuries,” James continued. He ended his statement by urging young members of the LGBTQ+ community to be brave. “Your family is out there. You are loved and valued. So when you come out of the closet, come out swinging,” he said.
A simple, powerful statement from Thomas James, cited as a hero in stopping the Club From shooter. He remains in stable condition at Centura Penrose Hospital. pic.twitter.com/t8EYRamT3Q
— Andrew Kenney (@AndyKnny) November 28, 2022
Here is Thomas James at the hospital, photo courtesy of the Navy. Police say he joined Richard Fierro, an Army veteran, in beating the attacker into submission. pic.twitter.com/2SH6tTzI74
— Andrew Kenney (@AndyKnny) November 28, 2022
Fierro had subdued the shooter and had reportedly tried to shoot him with the shooter's own pistol, "It’s the reflex. Go! Go to the fire. Stop the action. Stop the activity. Don't let anyone get hurt. I tried to bring everybody back," he told the media. Using military tactics, Fierro ducked to save himself from the gunfire and eventually grasped the body armor of the shooter to pin him down.