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.”
Aldrich remains in the hospital and has not made a formal court appearance. The El Paso County District Court sealed the arrest affidavit Sunday morning.
Witnesses told police that Aldrich entered the club a little before midnight carrying multiple firearms and opened fire with an AK-style rifle. The first call to police was at 11:56:57, according to Colorado Springs Police. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers told NPR two club patrons stopped the attack by physically confronting Aldrich, one of them taking a handgun carried by the assailant and hitting him with it.
“Police were there by 12 midnight, within three minutes,” Suthers told NPR. “This whole incident was over by 12:02. And that was largely because of the intervention of at least one, perhaps additional patrons who heroically took one of the — took a handgun from the individual and hit him with the handgun and disabled him.”
The shooting jolted the city. Hundreds of people turned out for vigils throughout Sunday.
Temple Beit Torah, a Colorado Springs synagogue, held an interfaith ceremony Sunday night initially intended to be an observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, but became an impromptu candlelight vigil following the tragedy.
The All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church held a similar vigil. Club Q co-owner Matthew Haynes told those gathered the space had long been a safe haven in the city.
"Club Q doesn't have employees, Club Q doesn't have customers," Haynes said. "Club Q has family and community and…we've lost our family."
By Monday morning, the club sat closed until further notice well behind a border of police tape. The closest accessible sidewalk had become a makeshift memorial laden with flowers, colorful stuffed animals and pride flags.
Authorities have yet to release the names of victims or of the clubgoers who subdued Aldrich. CPR’s Allison Sherry did confirm one of those killed was 28-year-old Club Q bartender Daniel Aston, a transgender man.
Colorado Springs Police said more details on the shooting would be coming Monday. This may not be Aldrich’s first run-in with local law enforcement. A man of the same age and name was reportedly booked in the El Paso County jail last year after threatening his mother with homemade bombs. Police would not confirm whether the cases are connected.
