On Saturday night, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a gunman entered an LGBTQ nightclub, opening fire and claiming the lives of five people and injuring at least 18, according to police. A suspect has been taken into custody.
Lt. Pamela Castro, with the Colorado Springs Police Department, shared during a press conference on Saturday night that authorities had received numerous 911 calls starting at around 11:57 p.m. of a shooting at the Club Q nightclub.
“They did locate one individual, who we believe to be the suspect inside,” Castro said. “At this point in time, the suspect is being treated but is in custody.”
During a Sunday morning news conference, District Attorney Michael Allen identified the suspect as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich.
"If additional suspects are identified and arrested we will share that information with the public at the appropriate time," Allen said.
Police did not share how the shooting ended, but Castro noted, “this was not an officer-involved shooting.”
Club Q has released a statement via its social media platforms saying it's “devastated by the senseless attack on our community,” while praising the “quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”
Police have declined to offer any motive for the shooting as the investigation is ongoing.
However, there is some resemblance between this shooting and the 2016 attack on the LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where a gunman killed 49 people and wounded at least 53.
It also is not the first mass shooting in Colorado, with the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 movie theater shooting in Aurora both taking place in the state.
On Saturday night, 11 ambulances responded to the scene, according to Colorado Springs Fire Capt. Mike Smaldino. From there, the victims were sent to numerous local hospitals for aid.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a statement on the attack, saying it was “horrific, sickening and devastating.”
“We are eternally grateful for the brave individuals who blocked the gunman likely saving lives in the process and for the first responders who responded swiftly to this horrific shooting,” Polis said. “Colorado stands with our LGTBQ community and everyone impacted by this tragedy as we mourn together.”
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