A night of dancing and laughing turned into a terrifying scenario when a shooter entered an LGBTQ bar and began firing.
Michael Anderson, who was working the bar at Club Q on Saturday night in Colorado Springs, described seeing the silhouette of a man carrying a weapon at the club’s door, roughly 15 feet away.
As I took cover behind the bar, shards of glass flew out in all directions.
His friend, the bar manager, Daniel Aston, was shot and killed in an instant.
Four more people were killed and 25 more were injured in a shooting spree that brought to mind the 2016 massacre at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in which 49 people were slain.
Anderson claimed that he needed a few seconds to absorb the shocking information. When he did, he feared it was the end of the road for him.
When I was in there, I thought for sure I wasn’t going to make it out alive. Anderson said on CNN on Monday, “I have never prayed so genuinely and swiftly in my life, as I was anticipating and scared of that outcome.”
When I finally got down on my knees to pray, the shooting stopped.
Two courageous bystanders were able to take down Anderson, the gunman, and stop a much worse tragedy from occurring.
I believe it was the gunman lying on the ground, getting kicked and yelled at by two very brave people,” Anderson said.
He claimed ignorance of the identities of those who intervened to stop the bloodshed.
More Than A Dozen People Shot
According to the Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez, officers arrived on the site about midnight and discovered that at least two persons had successfully taken down the gunman.
According to statements made by Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, in addition to the five persons who were killed, a total of 25 people were injured, including 19 people who were shot.
There has been no explanation given for the attack’s motive.
According to the police, the suspect, who is 22 years old and is currently being treated at a hospital, was not shot by the policemen who took him into custody on Sunday.
According to Vasquez, investigators are still working to uncover a reason for the shooting, including determining whether or not it was motivated by hate.
The heinous assault took place on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is commemorated every year on November 20 in memory of transgender people who have passed away as a result of anti-transgender violence and prejudice.
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A victim Had Just Moved To Be Closer To His Family
The parents of Daniel Aston notified the Denver Post that their son was slain on Saturday while working as a bartender at Club Q. The authorities have not identified any of the victims in this incident.
According to Jeff and Sabrina Aston, whose son came to Colorado Springs two years ago to be closer to them and took a job at the club, which is just minutes from their house, the Post said that the Astons’ son informed them that he wanted to be closer to them.
According to Anderson, the bartender who made it through the incident unscathed, Aston was not only his boss but also a friend to him for many years.
“He was the most capable manager that anyone could have hoped to work under. “He made me want to come into work, and he made me want to just be part of the wonderful culture we were trying to develop there,” Anderson said. “He made me want to be a part of the positive culture we were trying to create there.”
“He was an incredible human being. He was a source of inspiration for me. It’s hard to believe we’re already talking about him in the past tense. It’s still a dream.
The second largest city in the state, Colorado Springs, has a population of just under half a million people and is home to several military posts as well as the headquarters of Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian organization that believes homosexuality and same-sex marriage are sins.
And until very recently, the only LGBTQ-friendly club in the city was called Club Q.
“This space is really the only place in Colorado Springs that the LGBTQ+ community can get together and be ourselves,” said Cole Danielson, who worked as a drag king at Club Q. “This space is really the only place in Colorado Springs that the LGBTQ+ community can come together and be ourselves.”
Only a month ago, Danielson and his wife chose that venue for their wedding celebrations.
However, according to Danielson, “our safety as LGBT people in Colorado Springs is now called into doubt.” Being a trans man in this community makes me nervous, and it makes me afraid to be myself.
Suspect Had Been Arrested After Bomb Threat
Anderson Lee Aldrich was determined to be the suspect by the police. During the assault, he was armed with a long rifle, and two firearms were discovered at the site, according to Vasquez.
The chief stated that the rampage of the gunman was stopped within a few minutes despite the fact that he opened fire as soon as he entered the club. This was due to the fact that witnesses overcame him.
According to Vasquez, “at least two brave persons within the club engaged and struggled with the suspect, and they were ultimately successful in stopping the suspect.” “We owe them a significant amount of gratitude”
While Aldrich continues to be treated in the hospital, questions have arisen about a previous encounter he had with law officers, namely over the possibility that there was some way that the violence might have been avoided.
According to his mother’s former landlord and a news release from the local El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Aldrich was arrested in connection with a bomb threat that led to a standoff at his mother’s home in June of 2021. The confrontation was precipitated by the threat of a device.
On the basis of the name and the date of birth, two law enforcement sources have established that the suspect in the nightclub shooting and the individual who made the bomb threat are the same person.
Final Words
Authorities in Colorado Springs reported that a 22-year-old man opened fire in a homosexual nightclub, killing five people and wounding more than two dozen before being subdued by “heroic” guests and detained by police who arrived on the scene minutes later.
