Police: Gunman who killed 5 at gay nightclub was subdued by patrons
A Colorado Springs resident lays flowers near Club Q, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022. | Geneva Heffernan/AP Photo By Associated Press 11/20/2022 06:39 AM EST Updated: 11/20/2022 05:16 PM EST Link Copied COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A 22-year-old gunman opened fire inside a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and leaving 25 injured before he was subdued by “heroic” patrons and arrested by police who arrived within minutes, authorities said Sunday.Two firearms, including a “long rifle,” were found at Club Q after the Saturday night shooting, said Police Chief Adrian Vasquez.On its Facebook page, the club called it a “hate attack.” Investigators were still determining a motive and whether to prosecute it as a hate crime, said El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen.
Charges against the suspect “will likely include first-degree murder,” he said.Police identified the gunman as Anderson Lee Aldrich, who was in custody and being treated for injuries.A man with that name was arrested in 2021 after his mother reported he threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons, authorities said.
They declined to elaborate on that arrest. No explosives were found, authorities said at the time, and The Gazette in Colorado Springs reported that prosecutors did not pursue any charges and that records were sealed.Authorities were called to Club Q at 11:57 p.m.
Saturday with a report of a shooting, and the first officer arrived at midnight.Joshua Thurman said he was in the club with about two dozen other people and was dancing when the shots began.
