Colorado Springs Shooting at Club Q

On November 19, 2022, suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich, shot and killed five people and injured more than 17 at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs. That Saturday night Aldrich allegedly entered Club Q with an AR-15 and a handgun, opening fire on fewer than 40 people during a drag show. The shooting lasted for about six minutes until a man at the scene took heroic action. Richard Fierro, an army veteran, attended Club Q with his family when gunfire struck, prompting the veteran to instinctively react by snatching the AR-15 away from Aldrich and detaining  him until police arrived. Fierro spoke with New York Times, “I don’t know exactly what I did, I just went into combat mode. As soon as authorities arrived victims reported several casualties, some resulting in fatal wounds. Prior to the incident, Aldrich was initially charged with 305 counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping. assault, and bias-motivated crime. Aldrich currently faces 12 new charges after his first court appearance and is scheduled back in court on February 22. An attendee at the club, Joshua Thurman, told reporters, “I thought it was the music, so I kept dancing, then I heard another set of shots and then me and a customer ran to the dressing room, got on the ground, locked the doors and called the police immediately.” Since the tragedy, the LGBTQ community shared their concerns about their safety and space of comfort. The owner of Club Q. Nic Grzecka, plans to the club sometime this year after the club’s renovations finish. However, as a temporary reopen solution, Grzecka and his staff decided to establish another venue to provide a safe space for the community.