Mass Shootings Continue to Scar Colorado since Columbine in 1999
(CNN) -- Once again, a mass shooting has rocked Colorado -- this time, in Colorado Springs.A 22-year-old gunman entered an LGBTQ nightclub in the city shortly before midnight Saturday and immediately opened fire, killing at least five people and injuring 25 others before patrons confronted and stopped him, police said.At least two people inside Club Q confronted the gunman and prevented further violence, said Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez.
The suspect used a long rifle in the shooting, and two firearms were found at the scene, Vasquez said.The suspect is being treated at a hospital, police said.
Officers did not shoot at him.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat and the nation's first openly gay governor, issued a statement Sunday calling the attack "horrific, sickening and devastating."There have been more than 600 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Since the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, where two young men killed 13 people, Colorado has suffered several mass shootings:Columbine shootingThe April 20, 1999, shooting changed the way police responded to all the active shootings that followed, with increased focused on targeting the shooter as soon as possible.Nearly 50 minutes passed after the gunfire started before SWAT teams entered the school in Littleton.
