By THOMAS PEIPERT and JESSE BEDAYN (Associated Press)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A 22-year-old gunman opened hearth in a homosexual nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing 5 individuals and injuring 18 earlier than he was subdued by “heroic” patrons and arrested by police who had been on the scene inside minutes, authorities mentioned Sunday.
Two firearms, together with a “long rifle,” had been discovered at Club Q after the Saturday night time capturing, mentioned Police Chief Adrian Vasquez.
Investigators had been nonetheless figuring out a motive, and the assault was being investigated to see if it rises to the extent of a hate crime, mentioned El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen.
Police recognized the gunman as Anderson Lee Aldrich, who was in custody and being handled for accidents. A person with the identical identify and age was arrested in 2021 after his mom reported he threatened her with “a homemade bomb, multiple weapons and ammunition,” in accordance with authorities.
Police didn’t affirm whether or not it was the identical individual, saying they had been investigating whether or not the suspect had been arrested earlier than.
Authorities had been referred to as to the Club Q at 11:57 p.m. Saturday with a report of a capturing, and the primary officer arrived at midnight.
“At least two heroic people” confronted the gunman and stopped the capturing, Vasquez mentioned, including: “We owe them a great debt of thanks.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed on the capturing, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley mentioned. The FBI mentioned it was aiding however mentioned the police division was main the investigation.
The violence is the sixth mass killing this month and is available in a yr when the nation was shaken by the deaths of 21 in a faculty capturing in Uvalde, Texas.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who turned the primary brazenly homosexual man within the United States to be elected governor in 2018, mentioned the information was “sickening.”.
“My heart breaks for the family and friends of those lost, injured, and traumatized in this horrific shooting. I have spoken with Mayor (John) Suthers and clarified that every state resource is available to local law enforcement in Colorado Springs,” Polis mentioned. “Colorado stands with our LGTBQ community and everyone impacted by this tragedy as we mourn.”
Although a motive wasn’t but clear, nor had been the gender identities of the victims, the incident got here as anti-gay rhetoric has intensified by extremists. In an announcement, Club Q termed the capturing a hate assault.
“Club Q is devastated by the senseless attack on our community,” the membership posted on its Facebook web page. It mentioned its prayers had been with victims and households, including: “We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”
The capturing got here throughout Transgender Awareness Week and hours earlier than Sunday’s International Transgender Day of Remembrance, when occasions around the globe are held to mourn and bear in mind transgender individuals misplaced to violence. The Colorado Springs capturing was certain to convey particular resonance to these occasions.
Club Q is a homosexual and lesbian nightclub that includes a “Drag Diva Drag Show” on Saturdays, in accordance with its web site. In addition to the drag present, Club Q’s Facebook web page mentioned deliberate leisure included a “punk and alternative show” previous a birthday dance occasion, with a Sunday “all ages brunch.”
Colorado Springs is a metropolis of about 480,000 situated about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Denver that’s house to the U.S. Air Force Academy, in addition to Focus on the Family, a outstanding evangelical Christian ministry.
In November 2015, three individuals had been killed and eight wounded at a Planned Parenthood clinic within the metropolis when authorities say a person opened hearth as a result of he wished to wage “war” on the clinic as a result of it carried out abortions.
The capturing introduced again reminiscences of the 2016 bloodbath a t the Pulse homosexual nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 individuals. And it occurred in a state that has skilled a number of infamous mass killings, together with at Columbine High School in 1999, a movie show in suburban Denver in 2012 and at a Boulder grocery store final yr.
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California mentioned on Twitter he was “sickened and horrified” by the capturing, including: “The LGBTQ+ community is once again the target of the most terrible violence. And devastating attacks like these will only become more common if we don’t fight back. It must stop.”
Rep.-elect Eric Sorensen, who’s Illinois’ first brazenly homosexual congressman, tweeted that “we must use loud voices to stand up against hate. Our country must turn down the hateful rhetoric aimed at our LGBTQ community.”
In June, 31 members of the neo-Nazi group Patriot Front had been arrested in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and charged with conspiracy to riot at a Pride occasion. Experts warned that extremist teams might see anti-gay rhetoric as a name to motion.
The earlier month, a fundamentalist Idaho pastor advised his small Boise congregation that homosexual, lesbian and transgender individuals needs to be executed by the federal government, which lined up with comparable sermons from a Texas fundamentalist pastor.
There have been 523 mass killings since 2006 leading to 2,727 deaths as of Nov. 19, in accordance with The Associated Press/USA Today database on mass killings within the U.S.
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Bedayn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”