Club Q patrons shocked by attack on the place that was ‘a refuge for our community’

Vigils had been held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Sunday in honor of the 5 individuals killed overnight during a shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub.

“This club was a refuge for our community,” patron Bird Berg told The New York Times during a prayer vigil at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. “I’m completely devastated at how this can happen again and again.”

Police stated a gunman entered Club Q and opened fire shortly before midnight; a handgun and long gun with an AR-15-style platform had been discovered at the scene. At least two “heroic” patrons stopped the shooter, grabbing his weapon and hitting him with it, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers stated. At least 5 individuals had been killed in the assault, which occurred a couple of hours after a drag show, and more than two dozen injured.

The violence shocked the club’s patrons, who called Club Q “the go-to place” for LGBTQ residents and others in the community. The club operated for years without reporting any threats, and “it’s just always very, very welcoming no matter who or what you are,” Dawn Barron told The Washington Post. Barron collaborated with Club Q on fundraisers and Pride events, and stated “to have something like this is just, I can’t even really wrap my brain around it.”

Colorado Springs is a conservative city, resident Kourtney Berg informed the Times, and Club Q was one of the only venues where members of the LGBTQ community felt safe. “To be honest, I don’t see a solution to these things,” she added. “Access to guns is never going to go away.”

Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez informed reporters on Sunday evening that the 22-year-old suspect, identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, has not spoken with investigators, and authorities are attempting to determine a motive. Suthers informed the Times the shooting “has all the appearances of being a hate crime,” however investigators are still looking through the suspect’s social media posts and conducting interviews with individuals who know him.