What we know
- On Saturday night, a person entered Club Q, an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs, and began shooting people with a rifle.
- Five people died, including Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derek Rump, Ashley Pugh and Raymond Green Vance. Nineteen people were injured.
- Two people fought with suspected attacker, preventing further shooting.
- The suspected shooter has been moved to El Paso County Sheriff's Office and is in jail, however we don't know the motive behind the shooting.
- How Colorado’s ‘red flag’ law works.
We are not longer updating this live blog, but we are continuing to cover the Club Q shooting and its aftermath. Please see some of our recent stories:
Updated Nov. 26 at 5:40 p.m.
The owners of a Colorado Springs brewery who were victims of last week’s Club Q shooting shared a Thanksgiving message on social media after receiving an overwhelming show of support from people all over the country.
The Fierros said a previously planned fundraiser is still scheduled to take place at the brewery on Tuesday. It is benefitting UC Colorado Springs’ Mosaic and LGBTQ+ Resource Center.
Updated Nov. 26 at 10:10 a.m.
A fundraiser is scheduled to take place today throughout Colorado Springs in support of the Club Q shooting victims and their families. Multiple breweries have "pledged to donate a portion of sales for the day," according to a Facebook event page.
Some of the breweries participating in the "Brews for Q Multi Brewery Fundraiser" event include Bristol Brewing, Peaks n Pines, Red Swing, Smiling Toad and Whistle Pig.
Updated Nov. 26, 10:02 a.m.
A vigil will be held in Grand Junction today at 8 p.m. at Charlie Dwellington's for the victims of the Club Q shooting. The pub, which often hosts LGBTQ-friendly events, is considered the Western Slope city’s unofficial gay bar.
Plus, the co-owner of Club Q says he thinks the fatal shooting is a reflection of anti-LGBTQ sentiment that has evolved from prejudice to incitement.
Nic Grzecka's voice was tinged with exhaustion as he spoke with The Associated Press on Wednesday night in some of his first comments since the attack at Club Q, a venue Grzecka helped build into an enclave that sustained the LGBTQ community in conservative-leaning Colorado Springs.
Updated Nov. 23, 11:53 a.m.
The suspect in the Club Q nightclub shooting made an initial court appearance in Colorado Springs Wednesday morning, attending the hearing via video conference from the El Paso County Jail. Prosecutors advised five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of bias-motivated crime, which is how Colorado law refers to a hate crime.
The District Attorney's office has not yet filed formal charges against the suspect because the investigation is ongoing. The next scheduled in-person court date is Dec. 6, but defense attorneys have asked the judge in the case to move that date up.
Updated Nov. 23, 11:33 a.m.
Four days after allegedly opening fire, killing five and wounding many more, the Club Q shooting suspect is scheduled to appear virtually in El Paso County Court on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
The suspect has been preliminarily charged with five counts of first-degree murder after deliberation and five counts of a bias-motivated crime.
CPR News will host a live video stream of the heading here at 11:30 a.m. MT.
Updated November 23, 11:19 a.m.
A large Pride flag was hung from Colorado Springs City Hall Wednesday morning.
Updated November 22, 11:05 p.m.
Richard M. Fierro saved lives in the Club Q shooting. He says stopping the shooter was a collective effort.
Updated 10:02 p.m.
On Monday, authorities named Thomas James as one of the "heroes" who stopped the shooter at Club Q. The US Navy says a sailor with the same name was hospitalized after Club Q shooting.
Updated 8:44 p.m.
Anthony is one of the victims of the Club Q shooting. He held a press conference Tuesday from Centura Penrose hospital.
His message to the shooter: "'Why don't you meet somebody and get to know their true heart before passing judgment?' Because he really did harm a lot of pure, true hearts that I don't know if they'll be the same.”
Updated 4:51 p.m.
Updated 3:11 p.m.
The suspected gunman will appear virtually in court Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 11:30 a.m. He was transferred from the hospital to El Paso County Sheriff's custody earlier today.
Updated 2:15 p.m.
Colorado Spring Police Department tweeted that the suspected shooter has been released from the hospital, where he has been kept since Sunday morning, and has been transferred to El Paso County Sheriff's custody.
Updated 1:45 p.m.
The state on Sunday was rocked by news that a gunman had killed five people in an attack on Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs. For some Democratic lawmakers, the early facts raised questions about whether local police and sheriff’s deputies could have used the state’s “red flag” law to prevent the attack.
Last year, the suspect in the Club Q shooting was involved in an earlier incident in which he allegedly made bomb threats and confronted law-enforcement officers. It appears that authorities did not attempt to file a “red flag” petition after the incident, which could have barred him from possessing or buying guns.
Now, that decision is coming under scrutiny.
“I’m hearing reports that perhaps the red flag law wasn’t enforced on this young man,” said state Sen. Rhonda Fields, a Democrat.
The state’s red flag law, passed in 2019, allows local authorities to request permission to temporarily confiscate firearms from people they believe may be a danger to themselves or others.
Updated November 22, 12:00 a.m.
Denverites gathered in solidarity with Club Q and Colorado Springs on Monday night. Hundreds filled ReelWorks and the LGTBQ club Tracks for a vigil to mourn the loss of Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Ashley Green Paugh, Derrick Rump and Raymond Green Vance.
Updated 10:11 p.m.
While red flag laws have been on the books in the state since 2020, in the aftermath of this weekend's Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, Gov. Jared Polis said the statute isn't being sufficiently used.
"I think it needs to be really evangelized more and talked about more," Polis said during an interview on Colorado Matters. "I think that while it has been used a couple hundred times, I think that not everybody knows that it's on the books."
Updated 5:35 p.m.
The Club Q shooting in which five died and 19 were injured has brought renewed attention to an incident involving the suspected gunman, Anderson Aldrich, 22, in the summer of 2021.
Aldrich was booked at the time on five felony counts of menacing and first-degree kidnapping after authorities say he threatened to use explosives on a home where his mother rented a room. Details of the case are not currently available, after it was apparently sealed at Aldrich’s request when the charges were dropped.
Updated 5:16 p.m.
More than a dozen vigils and gatherings are already planned this week to mourn those killed and to help others heal. Participants can offer prayers, reflect, share their feelings or sit in silence at some events. At others, there will be songs, letter writing, poster making or other activities. Several have virtual options. CPR News has compiled a list of events across the state.
Updated 5:05 p.m.
Authorities cautioned Monday that the search for answers, including a motive, in Saturday night’s mass shooting in a Colorado Springs nightclub will take time, but that they pledged to pursue hate crime charges if the evidence points in that direction.
“We are reviewing all the facts, we are reviewing all the information we have,” said Colorado’s U.S. Attorney, Cole Finegan. “I just want to reiterate, and reaffirm that the Department of Justice is looking at all aspects of this case.”
El Paso District Attorney Michael Allen also said he would consider bias charges in the attack on a nightclub that was a favorite for the LGBTQ community in Colorado Springs. But, he pointed out that state bias crimes, class four felonies, would be just a small part of a case that involved five murders.
Updated 5:01 p.m.
A bartender living his dream. A 22-year-old with a “bright smile.” A trans woman who helped teach other trans women how to be resilient. A mother of an 11-year-old. A performer who loved ’80s music and dancing. Read the full story of who we lost in the Club Q shooting on Saturday night.
Updated 4:38 p.m.
The suspected attacker, Anderson Lee Aldrich, has been preliminarily charged with five counts of first-degree murder after deliberation and five counts of a bias-motivated crime. The charges are "arrest-only" charges, meaning the District Attorney's office has not filed formal charges yet because the investigation is ongoing.
Updated 4:19 p.m.
CPR News and Colorado Matters senior host Ryan Warner followed the Colorado Springs Police Department press conference live and posted updates to Twitter.
Updated 3:56 p.m.
During a press conference held by the Colorado Springs Police Department, DA Michael Allen said that reports of formal charges against the suspect are erroneous. Once the suspect is released from the hospital, there will be an initial court appearance, which will be virtual and he will attend from jail.
Updated 3:50 p.m.
Updated 3:45 p.m.
Colorado Springs police have identified the victims.
The Colorado Springs Police Department tweeted an update, including the names of the victims.
Update to Shooting at Club Q
This news release is to help clarify the victim numbers from the tragic Club Q shooting. As of November 21, 2022, at 12:00 PM below are the numbers of victims (it does not include the suspect):
• 5 deceased community members.
• 17 community members who are injured because of a gunshot wound.
• 1 community member who was injured, but not because of a gunshot wound.
• 1 community member who was a victim with no visible injuries.
We know many more community members were present at Club Q during the shooting, who may be victims with no visible injuries. An example is a community member who ran out as the shooting occurred.
We are asking anyone in the community who might have been a victim or has information about a potential victim, or might have seen something, has information about this incident, to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by calling1-800-CALL-FBI (or 1-800-225-5324).
The suspect remains in custody at a local hospital, so a photograph is not available at this time.
We will hold a press conference at 3:30pm today at the Police Operations Center, 705 S Nevada Ave.
We respect all of our community members, including our LGBTQ community. Therefore we will be identifying the victims by how they identified themselves and how their families have loved and identified them.
Kelly Loving: She/Her
Daniel Aston: He/Him
Derrick Rump: He/Him
Ashley Paugh: She/Her
Raymond Green Vance: He/Him
Originally tweeted by Colorado Springs Police Department (@CSPDPIO) on November 21, 2022.
Updated 3:39 p.m.
The Colorado Springs Police press conference is live. You can listen here streaming at CPR.org or on your radio.
CPR's Ryan Warner following live.
Updated 2:08 p.m.
Colorado Springs police reduced the number of persons injured in the Saturday fatal mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in the northeast part of the city.
Police originally said five people were killed and 25 were injured when Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, went into the club a little before midnight Saturday and opened fire.
The city reduced the number of injured in a noon news release. The release said 17 were injured by gunshot, one was injured but not by gunshot and one was a “victim with no visible injuries.”
Updated 11:10 a.m.
A district court judge agreed with a request from prosecutors to seal the the arrest affidavit in the Club Q shooting.
Deputy District Attorney Brent Nelson filed the request to seal yesterday with the court, arguing that releasing the information could "jeopardize the ongoing case investigation." The Court ordered the record sealed until the investigation is complete, and the court orders the record unsealed.
It is common for arrest affidavits to be sealed in all manner of criminal cases to protect the release of details as the initial investigation in on going. The order was signed by El Paso County magistrate judge Amanda Philipps.
Updated 10:30 a.m.
A makeshift memorial has sprung up outside of Club Q, with flower bouquets, stuffed animals, pride flags and other tokens of remembrance.
Updated November 21, 8:53 a.m.
The Colorado Springs Police Department tweeted yesterday that they would release updates on the shooting "by noon" today. CPR News reporters will be sharing updates here, as well other developments today.
Updated November 20, 9:59 p.m.
CPR's Paolo Zialcita attended a service meant to observe of Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday night. Instead, it became a vigil for the five people killed in Sunday morning's shooting.
Updated 7:13 p.m.
CPR News reporter Allison Sherry spoke with the parents of Daniel Aston, who was among those who was killed last night at Club Q.
Updated 6:30 p.m.
Updated 6:04 p.m.
Updated 5:50 p.m.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, was identified by authorities on Sunday as the person allegedly responsible for the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs. Here's what we know right now about Aldrich.
Updated 5:18 p.m.
CPR News reporter Allison Sherry spoke with the parents of Daniel Aston, who was among those who was killed last night at Club Q.
Updated 4:45 p.m.
Several hundred people gathered at a vigil in downtown Colorado Springs Sunday morning to express hope, resilience and the importance of community. For more than two decades, Club Q has served as a safe gathering place for the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs. Speaking during the vigil, co-owner Matthew Haynes said that he found himself there, as did many others, when there weren't other places to go. Read the full story here.
Updated 2:08 p.m.
Colorado lawmakers on Sunday expressed their shock and condemned the attack on the nightclub. Read the full story here.
Updated 1:11 p.m.
CPR News has collected resources for those impacted by the shooting and tips for how to cope with trauma and grief. You can read our guide here.
Updated 12:57 p.m.
Chaplain and former police officer Michael Travis played taps outside Club Q in Colorado Springs. Travis said he and his husband almost went to the club last night, but instead decided to turn in early. For the two men, the club is a second home: "We have a lot of friends who work here and perform here," Travis said. "Not knowing who you may have lost is pretty devastating in itself."
Updated 11:50 a.m.
In a press release, the City of Colorado Springs Joint Information Center updated the number of those who were injured in the shooting to 25 people. People are being treated at UC Health Memorial Hospital and Penrose Hospital. Names of the victims have not been released.
Updated 10:51 a.m.
Before the morning service at Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church, pastor Alycia Erickson said, "This morning we are having our Sunday morning service that we have every single week. But we have completely changed the service" to honor the lives of the people who died and those who were injured in the shooting.
Updated 8:42 a.m.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said the initial investigation showed the shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, entered the club and immediately began shooting at individuals with a rifle. The first 911 call was made at 11:56 p.m., with the first officer arriving at midnight. Aldrich was arrested two minutes later. “At least two heroic people inside the club confronted and fought with the suspect and were able to stop the suspect from continuing to kill and harm others,” Vasquez said Sunday morning.
Shooting victims who needed medical assistance at the scene went to three different hospitals. Seven went to Centura Penrose Hospital, 10 went to Memorial Central and two went to Memorial North.
Five people are dead and 18 others are injured following a shooting at a nightclub in Colorado Springs late Saturday night.
One suspect is in police custody and is being treated for injuries at a local hospital.
The shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ club in northeast Colorado Springs, is under investigation, according to Lt. Pamela Castro, a spokeswoman with the Colorado Springs Police Department. The FBI is assisting in the investigation, the agency's Denver office said on Twitter.
Club Q said it was devastated by the attack and called the incident a hate crime in a Facebook post Sunday morning.
“We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack,” the post read.
One victim ran from the scene to a nearby 7-Eleven and collapsed, according to Giovanni Bowden, who was working there at the time.
"One of the victims had gotten shot seven times and ran over here … trying to get some help," he said. "He collapsed. That's why that caution tape is out in the front there.
Others who'd been at the club also came to the store, he said. Some of them, and Bowden's coworker, tried to stabilize the victim by applying pressure to wounds.
Castro said a motive for the shooting is not yet known, and she declined to say what kind of firearm was used.
“This scene is going to take some time to get through,” Castro said. “We will be here for many, many hours to come.”
It was not an officer-involved shooting, Castro said.
She added that people who were uninjured during the incident were reunited with their loved ones. People can also contact the Colorado Springs Police Department for information, Castro said.
Police received multiple 911 calls starting at 11:57 p.m. Saturday. Video from the scene early Sunday morning showed a large police presence.
Thirty-four firefighters and 11 ambulances also responded to the incident, said Mike Smaldino a spokesman with the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Some ambulances transported multiple people at a time to nearby hospitals.
“We were pretty much right behind the police,” Smaldino said.
A news conference is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the Police Operations Center in downtown Colorado Springs.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
