Club Q massacre: Heroic patrons snatched shooter's gun, pinned him down till cops arrived
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO: One of the two patrons who confronted and stopped the gunman who went on a rampage at the LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs reportedly grabbed the shooter's own handgun and pinned him down till the cops arrived at the scene. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers revealed during a ‘Today’ interview that one of the patrons managed to snatch the suspect's firearm away from him and ‘use that weapon not by shooting it, but by hitting him and disabling him.’ “It’s an incredible act of heroism. That act probably saved a lot of lives,” he remarked.
Earlier, police named 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich as the prime suspect in the shooting. According to Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez, the suspect used a long rifle, while two other firearms were also found at the scene. According to Vasquez, at least two clubgoers confronted and fought the shooter, stopping any further bloodshed. “We owe them a great debt of thanks,” he remarked. Police emphasized Club Q's connection to the LGBTQ community and stated they were looking into whether the attack was a case of hate crime.
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According to NBC News, Vasquez said, “Club Q is a safe haven for our LGBTQ citizens. Every citizen has a right to feel safe and secure in our city, to go about our beautiful city without fear of being harmed or treated poorly.” After the shooting, Club Q expressed its shock in a statement posted on its official Facebook page. The statement reads, “Our prayers 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.”
Colorado Mayor John Suthers is opening up about the Colorado Springs shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub: “The motive is still under investigation; it has all the trappings of a hate crime.” pic.twitter.com/4V3UlJsLNV
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 21, 2022
Meanwhile, in remembrance of the victims of the tragic shooting, Governor Jared Polis ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all state-owned facilities starting on Monday, November 21 through Saturday, November 26, according to a press release from his office. “Flags will be lowered for 5 days to remember each of the 5 individuals who lost their lives in this senseless tragedy. To further honor and remember the victims and those injured in this tragedy, the Polis-Primavera administration will also be flying the Pride flag at the Colorado state capitol for the next five days,” the statement added.