Five people are dead and 25 injured after a shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs Police Department officers were dispatched to the location at 11:57 p.m. on Saturday, after receiving a 911 call.
Officers arrived at 12:00 a.m. and the suspect was taken into custody at 12:02 a.m.
The suspect has been identified as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, who was also injured.
Joshua Thurman told KOAA News, he was inside the club dancing when he heard gunshots and saw the muzzle flash of a long rifle being fired.
“I thought it was the music, so I kept dancing,” he said. “Then I heard another set of shots, and then me and a customer ran to the dressing room, got on the ground and locked the doors, and called the police immediately.”
Multiple firearms were found at the scene. Law enforcement is still working to identify who the firearms belonged to. The suspect used a long rifle during the shooting.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis commended the “brave individuals who blocked the gunman” in a statement released on Twitter in which he called the shooting “horrific, sickening, and devastating.
Police and emergency response vehicles at the scene of a shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Photograph: Reuters/@treyruffy
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said Colorado Springs is once again in mourning after the tragic shooting at Club Q late last night.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families who are bearing the weight of this horrific tragedy.”
“We are a strong community that has shown resilience in the face of hate and violence in the past, and we will do that again. As a community, we will provide for the victims and witnesses of this horrific event and law enforcement will pursue this case with the zealousness that the case deserves.”
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said “I want to express my deepest condolences to those families who have lost a loved one and those who were injured in this terribly sad and tragic shooting.
I want every citizen in our city to know the men and women of the Colorado Springs Police Department stand with you during this tragedy. We are working tirelessly to ensure justice for the victims in this senseless and evil shooting.
“Club Q is a safe haven for our LGBTQ+ citizens. Every citizen has the right to be safe and secure in our city; to go about our beautiful city without fear of being harmed or treated poorly. I am so terribly saddened and heartbroken.”
