Five people are dead, and more than two dozen hurt after a shooting inside a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs. Police said they received calls about an active shooter inside Club Q late Saturday night. Police said the 22-year-old gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich entered the club and immediately began shooting.
“There is much we are still waiting to learn about this tragic incident. We know one or more patients heroically intervened to subdue the suspect, and we praise those individuals who did so because their actions clearly saved lives,” said Mayor John Suthers.
A motive for the shooting remains unclear. Club Q condemned the attack, calling it a hate crime. A statement was issued on Club Q’s Facebook page:
“Club Q is devastated by the senseless attack on our community. Our prays [sic] and thoughts are with all the victims and their families and friend. We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”
Governor Jared Polis, who’s the first openly gay man elected governor in U.S. history, called the shooting “horrific, sickening and devastating.”
“My heart breaks for the family and friends of those lost, injured, and traumatized in this horrific shooting,” Polis said in a statement.