“Heroic people” confronted and fought with a gunman at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, USA, to stop him killing and harming others in a horrific attack. Five people have been killed and at least 18 injured in what is believed to be a mass shooting. A gunman opened fire at Club Q late last night, sparking a massive emergency response. Several people were taken to hospital. Colorado Springs police have named the suspect as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich.
Lieutenant Pamela Castro, of the Colorado Springs Police Department, told a media briefing this morning that an initial call came in about the incident just before midnight.
Eleven ambulances and 34 firefighters rushed to the scene, with the incident described as “a mass casualty event”.
Lt Castro said police were able to immediately gain access to the venue. They located one person they believed to be the suspect, who is now in custody and being treated for injuries at a local hospital.
In a news conference this afternoon, police said the suspect used a “long rifle” and immediately began shooting when he entered the nightclub. Two “heroic” people in the club subdued the attacker.
Police chief Adrian Vasquez said: “Initial evidence and interviews indicate that the suspect entered Club Q and immediately began shooting at people inside as he moved further into the club,” he told a news conference on Sunday.
“While the suspect was inside of the club, at least two heroic people inside the club confronted and fought with the suspect and were able to stop the suspect from continuing to kill and harm others. We owe them a great debt of thanks.”
Police have not immediately indicated a motive for the shooting and said the number of dead and injured could change as the investigation progresses. The FBI was in attendance at the scene and was assisting in the investigation.
Earlier, Captain Mike Smaldino said some of the many ambulances were transporting multiple victims to hospital in one go. Local law enforcement said officers had closed the road the LGBT nightclub is situated on while responding to the incident.
A cordon is in place on North Academy Road, between the intersections with North Carefree Circle and Village Seven Road, to the north-east of the city.
Footage of the incident posted online showed a large emergency response, including a long line of police vehicles attending with their emergency lights on.
Club Q advertises itself as an “adult-oriented gay and lesbian nightclub hosting theme nights such as karaoke, drag shows & DJs”.
In a statement on social media, it said the establishment was “devastated by the senseless attack on our community”. It added: “We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”
Gaby Lamah, 32, who has been visiting the club since she was 19, said she and her friends had made a “last-minute” decision not to go to the venue last night. Reacting to the reports, she told the Mirror she was “angry” and “heartbroken”.
Ms Lamah added: “I’m not sure I could back there and not be anxious the entire time. It feels like our world is going backwards instead of forwards.”
Though the motive of the suspected attacker has yet to be identified by police, the incident appears similar to the shooting of a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016, which left 50 dead.
Earlier this year, two people were killed an 20 injured when another gunman opened fire near a gay nightclub in the city centre of Oslo, Norway.