Updated Sunday at 3:50 p.m.
At least five people were killed and 25 others were wounded after a gunman opened fire at an LGBTQ club called Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Police said a 22-year-old suspect is in custody.
Here’s what we know so far:
- Police say at least two club patrons fought with the gunman, stopping him from continuing to harm others.
- President Biden and lawmakers are calling on Congress to pass stricter gun laws.
- The attack came on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20).
Your guide to resources on coping with gun violence and how to help the victims and families
The impact of these events often goes beyond the visible wounds inflicted by attackers. If you’re feeling grief or wondering how you might be able to help the families of victims, CPR News has put together a guide to local resources.
Here are a few more helpful articles from NPR:
- What to say to kids when the news is scary
- Five things to know about processing grief
- A glossary of gender identity terms and ideas
If you are in Colorado and in need of mental health support, call the Colorado Crisis Services hotline at 1-844-493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255 to speak with a trained counselor or professional. Counselors are also available at walk-in locations or online to chat between 4 p.m. and 12 a.m.
If you are a young person in crisis or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk, contact The Trevor Project’s Trevor Lifeline 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat every day or by texting “START” to 678-678.
➡️ Read CPR’s local resource guide here.
A crowd of mourners at Club Q continues to grow. Here’s a look at the scene
As morning turned to afternoon in Colorado Springs, mourners continued to gather outside the crime scene boundaries to pay their respect to five victims. Another 25 people are injured, city officials report.
Chaplain and former police officer Michael Travis played taps outside Club Q in Colorado Springs, reports Colorado Public Radio.
Travis said he and his husband almost went to the club last night, but instead decided to turn in early. For the two men, the club is a second home: “We have a lot of friends who work here and perform here,” Travis said. “Not knowing who you may have lost is pretty devastating in itself.”
Another woman helped her toddler daughter make the sign of a cross after placing a bouquet among the rest. In the background, police could be seen milling around the parking lot, collecting evidence on the scene. A pride flag fluttered in the wind above the building.
Local churches and national religious groups share support for the LGBTQ community
Local churches are condemning attacks on the LGBTQ community and holding services to honor the lives lost to anti-LGBTQ violence.
Dozens of people packed into the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Colorado Springs Sunday morning for a vigil in memory of those who were killed the night before at the LGBTQ nightclub Club Q.
Colorado Democrat Jared Polis, who is the first openly gay governor, joined the service via Zoom with his husband. He called Club Q a “safe haven for the LGBTQ community in an area where it hasn’t always been easy. It’s a place where we can gather, dance, and share joy.”
“No matter who you love, no matter how you identify, you belong here. We all belong here,” Polis said. “And we need to continue to fight for our freedom for everybody to be who they are without fear.”
Other houses of worship including Temple Beit Torah and First United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs are hosting vigils today to pray for the victims and survivors of the shooting.
“Prayers today for our Colorado Springs LGBTQIA+ family and a senseless shooting last night at Club Q,” the First United Methodist Church wrote on Facebook. “This is not the world God wants. Violence is not how we deal with conflict.”
National religious groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State, an organization advocating for religious freedom, are similarly showing support for the LGBTQ community.
American United wrote in a statement that religious extremists spreading hate toward the LGBTQ community contribute to the violence like the mass shooting in Colorado Springs.
“There can be no freedom for any of us in America until we are all free to live our lives without fear that we will be harmed because of who we are, what we look like or what religion we practice,” Americans United wrote.
Colorado went from being the “Hate State” to electing its first openly gay governor in two decades
Colorado Springs councilmember Nancy Henjum says the city has come a long way.
In the early 1990s, the state was known as the “hate state” for its intolerance of the LGBTQ community. At the time, Colorado Springs elected officials sought to make it illegal to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. That measure was ultimately struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1996.
A little over two decades later, Colorado voters elected the first openly gay governor in U.S. history, Jared Polis.
“We now — I would say very proudly — are actually a community that is welcoming and supporting and loving of all people,” Henjum told NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe on Weekend Edition.
She added that in the midst of mourning, the Colorado Springs community has also come together to show support for the victims and their families — including several churches in the area.
“We need to continue to move forward in love,” Henjum said.
The number of those injured in the shooting is now 25, city officials report
City officials increased the count of those injured in the shooting from 18 to 25 in their latest press release.
The names of the victims have not been released, as families are still being notified, the city says.
Mayor John Suthers said in a statement that victims were transported to local hospitals and received emergency medical attention as quickly as possible.
“We will continue to share more information with the community as it becomes available. But please be patient,” he wrote. “This is a horrible crime and we have a suspect in custody. We must do this right and ensure justice is served for the victims of this terrible crime.”
Updated Sunday at 9:44 a.m.
At least five people were killed and 18 others wounded in a shooting over the weekend at an LGBTQ club called Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Police said a suspect is in custody, and CPR News reports that the person is being treated at a hospital.
Here’s what we know so far:
- Police were called to the scene a little before 12 a.m. MT
- The suspect’s motive is not known at this time
- The attack the night before Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20)
Colorado’s governor called the attack ‘horrific, sickening, and devastating’
In a statement, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called the attack on Club Q “horrific, sickening, and devastating.”
“My heart breaks for the family and friends of those lost, injured, and traumatized in this horrific shooting,” Polis said. “I have spoken with Mayor Suthers and made it clear that every state resource is available to local law enforcement in Colorado Springs. 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. Colorado stands with our LGTBQ community and everyone impacted by this tragedy as we mourn together.”
The club calls the shooting a ‘hate attack’
Club Q wrote on its Facebook page that it is “devastated by the senseless attack on our community.”
“Our prayers and thoughts are with all the victims and their families and friends.”
“We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”
The shooting happened right before the start of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is Nov. 20.
Police have not yet shared the suspect’s motive.
At least 5 were killed in the attack
Five people were killed and at least 18 injured in a shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub late Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colo., authorities said.
Police received a phone call at about 11:57 p.m. to report a shooting at Club Q, Colorado Springs Police Department spokesperson Lt. Pamela Castro told media early Sunday morning.
CPR News reports one suspect is in custody and is being treated at a local hospital.
Five people were killed and 18 injured in a shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo., authorities said.
Police received a phone call at about 11:57 p.m. to report a shooting at Club Q, Colorado Springs Police Department spokesperson Lt. Pamela Castro told media early Sunday morning.
“Numerous officers and medical immediately responded to the area and officers immediately made entry,” Castro said.
Castro said “they did locate one individual who turned out to be the suspect,” and added that there is an investigation in “the very initial stages.”
CPR News reports one suspect is in custody and is being treated at a local hospital.
In a statement on Facebook, Club Q said it is “devastated by the senseless attack on our community.”
“Our prays and thoughts are with all the victims and their families and friends. We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”
Castro said the motive for the shooting was unknown, according to CPR News.
A news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET.
This is a developing story and will be updated.