Mugshot of Colorado gay club shootg spect shows juri staed durg nontatn wh 'heroic people' | US News | Sky News

Contents:

• GUNMAN KILLED 5 AT COLORADO SPRGS GAY CLUB BEFORE BEG SUBDUED BY PATRONS, POLICE SAY
• MUGSHOT OF COLORADO GAY CLUB SHOOTG SPECT SHOWS JURI STAED DURG NONTATN WH 'HEROIC PEOPLE'
• SHOOTG AT COLORADO SPRGS GAY CLUB LEAV 5 AD, 18 JURED; SPECT CTODY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 20, 2022 UPDATED 6:34PM COLORADO FOX 5 NY SHARE COPY LK EMAIL FACEBOOK TWTER LKEDIN REDD GUNMAN KILLS 5 AT COLORADO GAY CLUB, IS SUBDUED BY PATRONS POLICE SAY A 22-YEAR-OLD GUNMAN OPENED FIRE AT A GAY NIGHTCLUB COLORADO SPRGS, KILLG FIVE PEOPLE AND LEAVG 25 JURED BEFORE HE WAS SUBDUED BY "HEROIC" PATRONS. COLORADO - A 22-YEAR-OLD GUNMAN OPENED FIRE SI A GAY NIGHTCLUB COLORADO SPRGS, KILLG FIVE PEOPLE AND LEAVG 25 JURED BEFORE HE WAS SUBDUED BY "HEROIC" PATRONS AND ARRTED BY POLICE WHO ARRIVED WH MUT, THORI SAID SUNDAY. TWO FIREARMS, CLUDG A "LONG RIFLE," WERE FOUND AT CLUB Q AFTER THE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOOTG, SAID POLICE CHIEF ADRIAN VASQUEZ. ON S FACEBOOK PAGE, THE CLUB LLED A "HATE ATTACK." INVTIGATORS WERE STILL TERMG A MOTIVE AND WHETHER TO PROSECUTE AS A HATE CRIME, SAID EL PASO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MICHAEL ALLEN. CHARG AGAST THE SPECT "WILL LIKELY CLU FIRST-GREE MURR," HE SAID. POLICE INTIFIED THE GUNMAN AS ANRSON LEE ALDRICH, WHO WAS CTODY AND BEG TREATED FOR JURI. ANTI-GUN VLENCE RALLY HELD AT STONEWALL INN AFTER COLORADO SHOOTG MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ MUNY AND BEYOND GATHERED AT THE STONEWALL INN ON SUNDAY AS A SERVICE ORIGALLY TEND FOR THE TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE TURNED TO ONE THAT ALSO MEMORIALIZED THE VICTIMS OF A MASS SHOOTG AT A GAY CLUB COLORADO THAT LEFT 5 AD AND DOZENS JURED. A MAN WH THAT NAME WAS ARRTED 2021 AFTER HIS MOTHER REPORTED HE THREATENED HER WH A HOMEMA BOMB AND OTHER WEAPONS, THORI SAID. THEY CLED TO ELABORATE ON THAT ARRT. NO EXPLOSIV WERE FOUND, THORI SAID AT THE TIME, AND THE GAZETTE COLORADO SPRGS REPORTED THAT PROSECUTORS DID NOT PURSUE ANY CHARG AND THAT RERDS WERE SEALED. A MAKHIFT MEMORIAL IS SET UP NEAR CLUB Q ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022 COLORADO SPRGS, COLORADO. AN ATTACKER OPENED FIRE A GAY NIGHTCLUB LATE SATURDAY NIGHT KILLG FIVE PEOPLE AND WOUNDG AT LEAST 25, OFFICIALS SAID. THE CLUB SAID THE SPECT WAS EXPAND CLUB Q IS A GAY AND LBIAN NIGHTCLUB THAT FEATUR A "DRAG DIVA DRAG SHOW" ON SATURDAYS, ACRDG TO S WEBSE. BLOOD STAED CLOTHG IS SEEN ON THE GROUND NEAR CLUB Q, AN LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB COLORADO SPRGS, COLORADO, ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022. - AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 18 WOUND A MASS SHOOTG AT AN LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB THE US CY OF COLORADO SP EXPAND DRAG EVENTS HAVE BEE A FOC OF ANTI-LGBTQ RHETORIC AND PROTTS RECENTLY AS OPPONENTS, CLUDG POLICIANS, HAVE PROPOSED BANNG CHILDREN OM THEM, FALSELY CLAIMG THEY'RE ED TO "GROOM" CHILDREN. "CLUB Q IS VASTATED BY THE SENSELS ATTACK ON OUR MUNY," THE CLUB POSTED ON S FACEBOOK PAGE. IT SAID S PRAYERS WERE WH VICTIMS AND FAI, AND "WE THANK THE QUICK REACTNS OF HEROIC CTOMERS THAT SUBDUED THE GUNMAN AND END THIS HATE ATTACK." AUTHORI WERE LLED TO CLUB Q AT 11:57 P.M. SATURDAY WH A REPORT OF A SHOOTG, AND THE FIRST OFFICER ARRIVED AT MIDNIGHT. JOSHUA THURMAN SAID HE WAS THE CLUB WH ABOUT TWO DOZEN OTHER PEOPLE AND WAS DANCG WHEN THE SHOTS BEGAN. HE IALLY THOUGHT WAS PART OF THE MIC, UNTIL HE HEARD ANOTHER SHOT AND SAID HE SAW THE FLASH OF A GUN MUZZLE. THURMAN, 34, SAID HE RAN WH ANOTHER PERSON TO A DRSG ROOM WHERE SOMEONE ALREADY WAS HIDG. THEY LOCKED THE DOOR, TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS AND GOT ON THE FLOOR BUT ULD HEAR THE VLENCE UNFOLDG, CLUDG THE GUNMAN GETTG BEATEN UP, HE ADD. "I ULD HAVE LOST MY LIFE — OVER WHAT? WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE?" HE SAID AS TEARS RAN DOWN HIS CHEEKS. "WE WERE JT ENJOYG OURSELV. WE WEREN’T OUT HARMG ANYONE. WE WERE OUR SPACE, OUR MUNY, OUR HOME, ENJOYG OURSELV LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DO." TYLER JOHNSTON, RIGHT, FORTS HIS IEND JOSHUA THURMAN AT A MAKHIFT MEMORIAL NEAR CLUB Q ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022 COLORADO SPRGS, COLORADO. THURMAN WAS SI THE NIGHTCLUB WHEN THE SHOOTG HAPPENED. AN ATTACKER OPENED FIRE A GAY NIGHTCLUB EXPAND THE GUNMAN WAS NONTED BY "AT LEAST TWO HEROIC PEOPLE" WHO FOUGHT AND SUBDUED THE SPECT, VASQUEZ SAID. "WE OWE THEM A GREAT BT OF THANKS," HE ADD. DETECTIV ALSO WERE EXAMG WHETHER ANYONE HAD HELPED ALDRICH BEFORE THE ATTACK, VASQUEZ SAID. OF THE 25 JURED, AT LEAST SEVEN WERE CRIL NDN, THORI SAID. SOME WERE HURT TRYG TO FLEE, AND WAS UNCLEAR IF ALL OF THE VICTIMS WERE SHOT, A POLICE SPOKPERSON SAID. THE SHOOTG REKDLED MEMORI OF THE 2016 MASSACRE AT THE PULSE GAY NIGHTCLUB ORLANDO, FLORIDA, THAT KILLED 49 PEOPLE. COLORADO HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL MASS KILLGS, CLUDG AT COLUMBE HIGH SCHOOL 1999, A MOVIE THEATER SUBURBAN DENVER 2012 AND AT A BOULR SUPERMARKET LAST YEAR. IT WAS THE SIXTH MASS KILLG THIS MONTH AND ME A YEAR WHEN THE NATN WAS SHAKEN BY THE ATHS OF 21 A SCHOOL SHOOTG UVAL, TEXAS. ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND WAS BRIEFED ON THE SHOOTG AND THE FBI WAS ASSISTG POLICE WH THE VTIGATN. A SIGN HANGS OM A FENCE NEAR CLUB Q, AN LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB, COLORADO SPRGS, COLORADO, ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022. - AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 18 WOUND A MASS SHOOTG AT AN LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB THE US CY OF COLORADO SPRGS, POLICE SAID EXPAND PRINT JOE BIN SAID THAT WHILE THE MOTIVE FOR THE SHOOTGS WAS NOT YET CLEAR, "WE KNOW THAT THE LGBTQI+ MUNY HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO HORRIFIC HATE VLENCE RECENT YEARS." "PLAC THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE SPAC OF ACCEPTANCE AND CELEBRATN SHOULD NEVER BE TURNED TO PLAC OF TERROR AND VLENCE," HE SAID. "WE NNOT AND MT NOT TOLERATE HATE." COLORADO GOV. JARED POLIS, WHO BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN THE UNED STAT TO BE ELECTED ERNOR 2018, LLED THE SHOOTG "SICKENG." "MY HEART BREAKS FOR THE FAY AND IENDS OF THOSE LOST, JURED AND TRMATIZED," POLIS SAID. "COLORADO STANDS WH OUR LGTBQ MUNY AND EVERYONE IMPACTED BY THIS TRAGEDY AS WE MOURN." A MAKHIFT MEMORIAL SPRANG UP SUNDAY NEAR THE CLUB, WH FLOWERS, A STUFFED ANIMAL AND NDL AND A SIGN SAYG "LOVE OVER HATE" NEXT TO A RABOW-LORED HEART. SETH STANG WAS BUYG FLOWERS FOR THE MEMORIAL WHEN HE WAS TOLD THAT TWO OF THE AD WERE HIS IENDS. THE 34-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENR MAN SAID WAS LIKE HAVG "A BUCKET OF HOT WATER GETTG DUMPED ON YOU. ... I’M JT TIRED OF NNG OUT OF PLAC WHERE WE N EXIST SAFELY." RYAN JOHNSON, WHO LIV NEAR THE CLUB AND WAS THERE LAST MONTH, SAID WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO NIGHTSPOTS FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY NSERVATIVE-LEANG COLORADO SPRGS. "IT’S KD OF THE GO-TO FOR PRI," THE 26-YEAR-OLD SAID OF THE CLUB, WHICH IS TUCKED BEHD OTHER BS, CLUDG A BOWLG ALLEY AND A SANDWICH SHOP. COLORADO SPRGS, A CY OF ABOUT 480,000 LOTED 70 (112 KILOMETERS) SOUTH OF DENVER, IS HOME TO THE U.S. AIR FORCE AMY, AS WELL AS FOC ON THE FAY, A PROMENT EVANGELIL CHRISTIAN MISTRY. THE GROUP NMNED THE SHOOTG AND SAID "EXPOS THE EVIL AND WICKEDNS SI THE HUMAN HEART." IN NOVEMBER 2015, THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND EIGHT WOUND AT A PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLIC THE CY WHEN THORI SAY A GUNMAN TARGETED THE CLIC BEE PERFORMED ABORTNS. THE CEO OF A NATNAL LGBTQ-RIGHTS ANIZATN, KEV JENNGS OF LAMBDA LEGAL, PLEAD FOR TIGHTER RTRICTNS ON GUNS. "AMERI’S TOXIC MIX OF BIGOTRY AND ABSURDLY EASY ACCS TO FIREARMS MEANS THAT SUCH EVENTS ARE ALL TOO MON AND LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, BIPOC MUNI, THE JEWISH MUNY AND OTHER VULNERABLE POPULATNS PAY THE PRICE AGA AND AGA FOR OUR POLIL LEARSHIP’S FAILURE TO ACT," HE SAID A STATEMENT. THE SHOOTG ME DURG TRANSGENR AWARENS WEEK AND JT AT THE START OF SUNDAY’S INTERNATNAL TRANSGENR DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, WHEN EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE HELD TO MOURN AND REMEMBER TRANSGENR PEOPLE LOST TO VLENCE. IN JUNE, 31 MEMBERS OF THE NEO-NAZI GROUP PATRT FRONT WERE ARRTED COR D’ALENE, IDAHO, AND CHARGED WH NSPIRACY TO RT AT A PRI EVENT. EXPERTS WARNED THAT EXTREMIST GROUPS ULD SEE ANTI-GAY RHETORIC AS A LL TO ACTN. THE PREV MONTH, A FUNDAMENTALIST IDAHO PASTOR TOLD HIS SMALL BOISE NGREGATN THAT GAY, LBIAN AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE SHOULD BE EXECUTED BY THE ERNMENT, WHICH LED UP WH SIAR SERMONS OM A TEXAS FUNDAMENTALIST PASTOR. SCE 2006, THERE HAVE BEEN 523 MASS KILLGS AND 2,727 ATHS AS OF NOV. 19, ACRDG TO THE ASSOCIATED PRS/USA TODAY DATABASE ON MASS KILLGS THE U.S. THE ASSOCIATED PRS NTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT. DAILY NEWSLETTER

GUNMAN KILLED 5 AT COLORADO SPRGS GAY CLUB BEFORE BEG SUBDUED BY PATRONS, POLICE SAY

Colorado Sprgs, the state’s send-most populo cy wh jt unr 500, 000 rints, is home to a number of ary bas and is the headquarters for Foc on the Fay, the nservative Christian group that says homosexualy and same-sex marriage are ss. He and his bs partner toured other succsful LGBTQ spac and noted a mon theme: “They were gay as hell, ” Grzecka told the outlet. We knew we had to be gay as hell (to survive).

MUGSHOT OF COLORADO GAY CLUB SHOOTG SPECT SHOWS JURI STAED DURG NONTATN WH 'HEROIC PEOPLE'

Jared Polis, a Democrat and the natn’s first openly gay ernor, issued a statement Sunday llg the attack “horrific, sickeng and vastatg” and offered state rourc to lol law enforcement.

SHOOTG AT COLORADO SPRGS GAY CLUB LEAV 5 AD, 18 JURED; SPECT CTODY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 20, 2022 UPDATED 6:34PM COLORADO FOX 5 NY SHARE COPY LK EMAIL FACEBOOK TWTER LKEDIN REDD GUNMAN KILLS 5 AT COLORADO GAY CLUB, IS SUBDUED BY PATRONS POLICE SAY A 22-YEAR-OLD GUNMAN OPENED FIRE AT A GAY NIGHTCLUB COLORADO SPRGS, KILLG FIVE PEOPLE AND LEAVG 25 JURED BEFORE HE WAS SUBDUED BY "HEROIC" PATRONS. COLORADO - A 22-YEAR-OLD GUNMAN OPENED FIRE SI A GAY NIGHTCLUB COLORADO SPRGS, KILLG FIVE PEOPLE AND LEAVG 25 JURED BEFORE HE WAS SUBDUED BY "HEROIC" PATRONS AND ARRTED BY POLICE WHO ARRIVED WH MUT, THORI SAID SUNDAY. TWO FIREARMS, CLUDG A "LONG RIFLE," WERE FOUND AT CLUB Q AFTER THE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOOTG, SAID POLICE CHIEF ADRIAN VASQUEZ. ON S FACEBOOK PAGE, THE CLUB LLED A "HATE ATTACK." INVTIGATORS WERE STILL TERMG A MOTIVE AND WHETHER TO PROSECUTE AS A HATE CRIME, SAID EL PASO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MICHAEL ALLEN. CHARG AGAST THE SPECT "WILL LIKELY CLU FIRST-GREE MURR," HE SAID. POLICE INTIFIED THE GUNMAN AS ANRSON LEE ALDRICH, WHO WAS CTODY AND BEG TREATED FOR JURI. ANTI-GUN VLENCE RALLY HELD AT STONEWALL INN AFTER COLORADO SHOOTG MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ MUNY AND BEYOND GATHERED AT THE STONEWALL INN ON SUNDAY AS A SERVICE ORIGALLY TEND FOR THE TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE TURNED TO ONE THAT ALSO MEMORIALIZED THE VICTIMS OF A MASS SHOOTG AT A GAY CLUB COLORADO THAT LEFT 5 AD AND DOZENS JURED. A MAN WH THAT NAME WAS ARRTED 2021 AFTER HIS MOTHER REPORTED HE THREATENED HER WH A HOMEMA BOMB AND OTHER WEAPONS, THORI SAID. THEY CLED TO ELABORATE ON THAT ARRT. NO EXPLOSIV WERE FOUND, THORI SAID AT THE TIME, AND THE GAZETTE COLORADO SPRGS REPORTED THAT PROSECUTORS DID NOT PURSUE ANY CHARG AND THAT RERDS WERE SEALED. A MAKHIFT MEMORIAL IS SET UP NEAR CLUB Q ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022 COLORADO SPRGS, COLORADO. AN ATTACKER OPENED FIRE A GAY NIGHTCLUB LATE SATURDAY NIGHT KILLG FIVE PEOPLE AND WOUNDG AT LEAST 25, OFFICIALS SAID. THE CLUB SAID THE SPECT WAS EXPAND CLUB Q IS A GAY AND LBIAN NIGHTCLUB THAT FEATUR A "DRAG DIVA DRAG SHOW" ON SATURDAYS, ACRDG TO S WEBSE. BLOOD STAED CLOTHG IS SEEN ON THE GROUND NEAR CLUB Q, AN LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB COLORADO SPRGS, COLORADO, ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022. - AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 18 WOUND A MASS SHOOTG AT AN LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB THE US CY OF COLORADO SP EXPAND DRAG EVENTS HAVE BEE A FOC OF ANTI-LGBTQ RHETORIC AND PROTTS RECENTLY AS OPPONENTS, CLUDG POLICIANS, HAVE PROPOSED BANNG CHILDREN OM THEM, FALSELY CLAIMG THEY'RE ED TO "GROOM" CHILDREN. "CLUB Q IS VASTATED BY THE SENSELS ATTACK ON OUR MUNY," THE CLUB POSTED ON S FACEBOOK PAGE. IT SAID S PRAYERS WERE WH VICTIMS AND FAI, AND "WE THANK THE QUICK REACTNS OF HEROIC CTOMERS THAT SUBDUED THE GUNMAN AND END THIS HATE ATTACK." AUTHORI WERE LLED TO CLUB Q AT 11:57 P.M. SATURDAY WH A REPORT OF A SHOOTG, AND THE FIRST OFFICER ARRIVED AT MIDNIGHT. JOSHUA THURMAN SAID HE WAS THE CLUB WH ABOUT TWO DOZEN OTHER PEOPLE AND WAS DANCG WHEN THE SHOTS BEGAN. HE IALLY THOUGHT WAS PART OF THE MIC, UNTIL HE HEARD ANOTHER SHOT AND SAID HE SAW THE FLASH OF A GUN MUZZLE. THURMAN, 34, SAID HE RAN WH ANOTHER PERSON TO A DRSG ROOM WHERE SOMEONE ALREADY WAS HIDG. THEY LOCKED THE DOOR, TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS AND GOT ON THE FLOOR BUT ULD HEAR THE VLENCE UNFOLDG, CLUDG THE GUNMAN GETTG BEATEN UP, HE ADD. "I ULD HAVE LOST MY LIFE — OVER WHAT? WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE?" HE SAID AS TEARS RAN DOWN HIS CHEEKS. "WE WERE JT ENJOYG OURSELV. WE WEREN’T OUT HARMG ANYONE. WE WERE OUR SPACE, OUR MUNY, OUR HOME, ENJOYG OURSELV LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DO." TYLER JOHNSTON, RIGHT, FORTS HIS IEND JOSHUA THURMAN AT A MAKHIFT MEMORIAL NEAR CLUB Q ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022 COLORADO SPRGS, COLORADO. THURMAN WAS SI THE NIGHTCLUB WHEN THE SHOOTG HAPPENED. AN ATTACKER OPENED FIRE A GAY NIGHTCLUB EXPAND THE GUNMAN WAS NONTED BY "AT LEAST TWO HEROIC PEOPLE" WHO FOUGHT AND SUBDUED THE SPECT, VASQUEZ SAID. "WE OWE THEM A GREAT BT OF THANKS," HE ADD. DETECTIV ALSO WERE EXAMG WHETHER ANYONE HAD HELPED ALDRICH BEFORE THE ATTACK, VASQUEZ SAID. OF THE 25 JURED, AT LEAST SEVEN WERE CRIL NDN, THORI SAID. SOME WERE HURT TRYG TO FLEE, AND WAS UNCLEAR IF ALL OF THE VICTIMS WERE SHOT, A POLICE SPOKPERSON SAID. THE SHOOTG REKDLED MEMORI OF THE 2016 MASSACRE AT THE PULSE GAY NIGHTCLUB ORLANDO, FLORIDA, THAT KILLED 49 PEOPLE. COLORADO HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL MASS KILLGS, CLUDG AT COLUMBE HIGH SCHOOL 1999, A MOVIE THEATER SUBURBAN DENVER 2012 AND AT A BOULR SUPERMARKET LAST YEAR. IT WAS THE SIXTH MASS KILLG THIS MONTH AND ME A YEAR WHEN THE NATN WAS SHAKEN BY THE ATHS OF 21 A SCHOOL SHOOTG UVAL, TEXAS. ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND WAS BRIEFED ON THE SHOOTG AND THE FBI WAS ASSISTG POLICE WH THE VTIGATN. A SIGN HANGS OM A FENCE NEAR CLUB Q, AN LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB, COLORADO SPRGS, COLORADO, ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022. - AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 18 WOUND A MASS SHOOTG AT AN LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB THE US CY OF COLORADO SPRGS, POLICE SAID EXPAND PRINT JOE BIN SAID THAT WHILE THE MOTIVE FOR THE SHOOTGS WAS NOT YET CLEAR, "WE KNOW THAT THE LGBTQI+ MUNY HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO HORRIFIC HATE VLENCE RECENT YEARS." "PLAC THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE SPAC OF ACCEPTANCE AND CELEBRATN SHOULD NEVER BE TURNED TO PLAC OF TERROR AND VLENCE," HE SAID. "WE NNOT AND MT NOT TOLERATE HATE." COLORADO GOV. JARED POLIS, WHO BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN THE UNED STAT TO BE ELECTED ERNOR 2018, LLED THE SHOOTG "SICKENG." "MY HEART BREAKS FOR THE FAY AND IENDS OF THOSE LOST, JURED AND TRMATIZED," POLIS SAID. "COLORADO STANDS WH OUR LGTBQ MUNY AND EVERYONE IMPACTED BY THIS TRAGEDY AS WE MOURN." A MAKHIFT MEMORIAL SPRANG UP SUNDAY NEAR THE CLUB, WH FLOWERS, A STUFFED ANIMAL AND NDL AND A SIGN SAYG "LOVE OVER HATE" NEXT TO A RABOW-LORED HEART. SETH STANG WAS BUYG FLOWERS FOR THE MEMORIAL WHEN HE WAS TOLD THAT TWO OF THE AD WERE HIS IENDS. THE 34-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENR MAN SAID WAS LIKE HAVG "A BUCKET OF HOT WATER GETTG DUMPED ON YOU. ... I’M JT TIRED OF NNG OUT OF PLAC WHERE WE N EXIST SAFELY." RYAN JOHNSON, WHO LIV NEAR THE CLUB AND WAS THERE LAST MONTH, SAID WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO NIGHTSPOTS FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY NSERVATIVE-LEANG COLORADO SPRGS. "IT’S KD OF THE GO-TO FOR PRI," THE 26-YEAR-OLD SAID OF THE CLUB, WHICH IS TUCKED BEHD OTHER BS, CLUDG A BOWLG ALLEY AND A SANDWICH SHOP. COLORADO SPRGS, A CY OF ABOUT 480,000 LOTED 70 (112 KILOMETERS) SOUTH OF DENVER, IS HOME TO THE U.S. AIR FORCE AMY, AS WELL AS FOC ON THE FAY, A PROMENT EVANGELIL CHRISTIAN MISTRY. THE GROUP NMNED THE SHOOTG AND SAID "EXPOS THE EVIL AND WICKEDNS SI THE HUMAN HEART." IN NOVEMBER 2015, THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND EIGHT WOUND AT A PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLIC THE CY WHEN THORI SAY A GUNMAN TARGETED THE CLIC BEE PERFORMED ABORTNS. THE CEO OF A NATNAL LGBTQ-RIGHTS ANIZATN, KEV JENNGS OF LAMBDA LEGAL, PLEAD FOR TIGHTER RTRICTNS ON GUNS. "AMERI’S TOXIC MIX OF BIGOTRY AND ABSURDLY EASY ACCS TO FIREARMS MEANS THAT SUCH EVENTS ARE ALL TOO MON AND LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, BIPOC MUNI, THE JEWISH MUNY AND OTHER VULNERABLE POPULATNS PAY THE PRICE AGA AND AGA FOR OUR POLIL LEARSHIP’S FAILURE TO ACT," HE SAID A STATEMENT. THE SHOOTG ME DURG TRANSGENR AWARENS WEEK AND JT AT THE START OF SUNDAY’S INTERNATNAL TRANSGENR DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, WHEN EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE HELD TO MOURN AND REMEMBER TRANSGENR PEOPLE LOST TO VLENCE. IN JUNE, 31 MEMBERS OF THE NEO-NAZI GROUP PATRT FRONT WERE ARRTED COR D’ALENE, IDAHO, AND CHARGED WH NSPIRACY TO RT AT A PRI EVENT. EXPERTS WARNED THAT EXTREMIST GROUPS ULD SEE ANTI-GAY RHETORIC AS A LL TO ACTN. THE PREV MONTH, A FUNDAMENTALIST IDAHO PASTOR TOLD HIS SMALL BOISE NGREGATN THAT GAY, LBIAN AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE SHOULD BE EXECUTED BY THE ERNMENT, WHICH LED UP WH SIAR SERMONS OM A TEXAS FUNDAMENTALIST PASTOR. SCE 2006, THERE HAVE BEEN 523 MASS KILLGS AND 2,727 ATHS AS OF NOV. 19, ACRDG TO THE ASSOCIATED PRS/USA TODAY DATABASE ON MASS KILLGS THE U.S. THE ASSOCIATED PRS NTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT. DAILY NEWSLETTER

Polis told CNN’s Jim Asta there are only two gay bars Colorado Sprgs, and Club Q was one of the ma venu. A 22-year-old gunman opened fire a gay nightclub Colorado Sprgs, killg five people and leavg more than two dozen jured before he was subdued by "heroic" patrons and arrted by police who were on the scene wh mut, thori said a news nference Sunday morng, Colorado Sprgs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez intified the spect as 22-year-old Anrson Lee Aldrich, who was beg treated for juri. "Flags will be lowered for 5 days to remember each of the 5 dividuals who lost their liv this sensels tragedy, " Polis Q is a gay and lbian nightclub that featur a "Drag Diva Drag Show" on Saturdays, acrdg to s webse.

Although a motive wasn't yet clear, nor were the genr inti of the victims, the cint me as anti-gay rhetoric has tensified by extremists.

Experts warned that extremist groups uld see anti-gay rhetoric as a ll to actn.