Police: Gunman who killed 5 at gay nightclub was subdued by patrons - POLITICO

gunman gay night club

The alleged gunman facg possible hate crime charg the fatal shootg of five people at a Colorado Sprgs gay nightclub is nonbary, the spect’s fense team says urt filgs In several standard motns filed on behalf of Anrson Lee Aldrich on Tuday, public fenrs refer to the

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WHO IS ANRSON LEE ALDRICH, SPECT MASS SHOOTG AT COLORADO GAY NIGHTCLUB?

The shootg rekdled memori of the 2016 massacre at the Pulse gay nightclub Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people. * gunman gay night club *

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). 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.

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

At least 50 people are ad and more than 50 others are wound after a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub Orlando, early Sunday morng. * gunman gay night club *

Polis told CNN’s Jim Asta there are only two gay bars Colorado Sprgs, and Club Q was one of the ma venu. The shootg six years after the 2016 massacre at Pulse, a gay nightclub Orlando, Florida, which left 49 people ad and dozens advot spoke out agast the shootg and support of the victims Sunday.

”Transportatn Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who as a ndidate the 2020 printial electn beme the first openly gay ndidate to n for the natn’s hight office, lled the news of the shootg “sickeng and heartbreakg” and part of a “pattern” a tweet Sunday.

ORLANDO NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG: MASS CASUALTI AFTER GUNMAN OPENS FIRE GAY CLUB

The ath toll a shootg a gay nightclub Orlando, Florida, has risen to 50, the mayor says, the adlit mass shootg recent US history. * gunman gay night club *

Jared Polis, who 2018 was the first openly gay man elected ernor and is currently quarantg wh Covid, lled the shootg "horrific, sickeng, and vastatg" a statement released Sunday morng.

ORLANDO GAY NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG: 50 KILLED, SPECT IS OMAR MATEEN

* gunman gay night club *

A 22-year-old gunman opened fire wh a semitomatic rifle 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 spect the Saturday night shootg at Club Q ed an AR-15-style semitomatic weapon, a law enforcement official said. Suthers said there was "reason to hope" that all of those hospalized would shootg rekdled memori of the 2016 massacre at the Pulse gay nightclub Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people. He said patrons who tervened durg the attack were "heroic" and owed a bt of gratu for preventg more Q is a gay and lbian nightclub that featur a drag show on Saturdays, acrdg to s webse.

Jared Polis, who beme the first openly gay man the Uned Stat to be elected ernor 2018, lled the shootg "sickeng.

Experts warned that extremist groups uld see anti-gay rhetoric as a ll to 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 2006, there have been 523 mass killgs and 2, 727 aths as of Nov.

‘IT’S MY FLORIDA TOO’: PULSE SHOOTG SURVIVOR BRANDON WOLF ON BEG BLACK, GAY AND THE ANTI-RON DESANTIS

When the world awoke two years ago to the news that a gunman had killed 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub Orlando, Florida, one immediate qutn was: Why that place? Durg the attack, gunman Omar Mateen lled 911 and pledged allegiance to the lear of the vilently anti-gay Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a group that releas propaganda vios of gay men beg thrown off buildgs.

GUNMAN KILLS 5 LGBTQ+ PATRONS COLORADO GAY NIGHTCLUB

The reason he chose Pulse seemed obv: he hated gay days after the attack, on June 16, 2016, Print Barack Obama vised survivors Orlando and livered a statement.

”A few days earlier, printial ndidate Donald Tmp said at a rally, “A radil Islamic terrorist targeted the nightclub, not only bee he wanted to kill Amerins, but orr to execute gay and lbian cizens, bee of their sexual orientatn. In their closg statement, ernment prosecutors admted that there was no evince to suggt that Mateen knew that Pulse was a gay leav another qutn: How uld the Pulse attack be a hate crime agast gay people if the perpetrator chose randomly?

DEFENSE: COLORADO GAY CLUB SHOOTG SPECT IS NONBARY

In particular, mors that Mateen was a closeted gay man and had targeted the club out of first wife, Sora Yufiy, suggted an terview wh Time magaze, wh ltle evince other than his penchant for bodybuildg and mirror-gazg, that Omar Mateen uld have been gay. ”Univisn aired an terview wh a disguised man named “Miguel” who lled Mateen “100 percent” gay, but there were no electronic rerds of their alleged Grdr-facilated renzvo, and other news outlets st doubt on his Salman, wife of Pulse gunman Omar Mateen, a Facebook profile FacebookJt hours after the shootg began, Salman was an FBI terrogatn room. The terrogatn was not an exclive terview wh NBC News, one of Salman’s lawyers, Charl Swift, said the FBI agents failed to rerd the terrogatn bee they sought a nfsn for a crime they assumed was an attack on gay men, rather than a random mass shootg that targeted Amerins , who is director of the Constutnal Law Center for Mlims Ameri and a former Navy lawyer for the Judge Advote General divisn who fend men acced of terrorism at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, said beme clear to him that the FBI agents “were dog somethg different here.

An attack on the gay muny, ” Swift said.

At least 50 people were killed and more than 50 others were wound when a gunman opened fire and took hostag at a gay nightclub Orlando, Florida, early Sunday shooter, intified by several law enforcement sourc as Omar Mateen, 29, was killed a shootout wh law enforcement after a three-hour massacre — the worst mass shootg the history of the Uned Stat — began when the gunman stormed the Pulse Nightclub about 2 a. ""This is an pecially heartbreakg day for our iends fellow Amerins who are lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr, " Obama said, llg the attack "an act of terror and an act of hate. Media ptn, Eyewns Anthony Torr fled the scene and filmed as he watched people shootg "back and forth"Fifty people are now known to have died a shootg a gay nightclub Orlando, Florida, the cy's mayor Buddy Dyer has gunman, named by officials as Omar Mateen, was killed after takg hostag at the Pulse club.

GAY BAR SHOOTG SPECT FAC MURR, HATE CRIME CHARG

However, US Congrsman Alan Grayson said was "no cince" the attack happened a gay club. "It may be we've seen the missn of an awful hate crime, " he source, CBS NewsImage ptn, US media have published a picture of the spect, Omar MateenImage source, Omar MateenImage ptn, Mateen's father said his motiv had nothg to do wh relignMateen's father Mir Seddique told NBC News that the cint had nothg to do wh relign, and may have been triggered by the sight of a gay uple kissg NBC News reported that Mateen lled the emergency servic before the attack and swore allegiance to the so-lled Islamic State (IS) ant group later said - via s affiliated Amaq news agency - that an IS "fighter" had rried out the claim did not specify whether IS was directly volved or simply takg cred for spirg the attack. A gay pri para has also been takg place Wt Hollywood, Los Angel.

The cy's mayor said police the nearby cy of Santa Moni had arrted a heavily armed man who said he was gog to the US mass shootgs last 25 yearsAt least 50 ad, 2016 - Omar Mateen opens fire on revellers at gay club Orlando, Florida32 ad, 2007 - Stunt Sng-Hui Cho massacr stunts at Virgia Tech universy before killg himself27 ad, 2012 - Adam Lanza kills 20 six- and seven-year-old children and six adults before killg himself at Sandy Hook, Connecticut23 ad, 1991 - Gee Hennard driv through the wall of a fe Killeen, Texas, before openg fire and mtg suici14 ad, 2015 - Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik open fire at a staff gatherg San Bernardo13 ad, 2009 - Maj Nidal Malik Hasan opens fire at army base Fort Hood, Texas13 ad, 2009 - Jiverly Wong shoots people at New York immigrant centre before killg himself13 ad, 1999 - Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill fellow stunts and a teacher at Columbe High School Ltleton, ColoradoOrlando Police Chief John Ma said the attack began at 02:00 (06:00 GMT).

AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE KILLED SHOOTG AT GAY NIGHTCLUB COLORADO SPRGS

”Wolf had sought refuge Florida 15 years ago when he was done wh ral Oregon, the childhood home where he suffered embedd racism and homophobia on a daily basis. Among his motivatns for wrg the book was to reclaim tersectnaly om DeSantis and others on the right who seek to hijack explas: “I wanted to give a human flavour to what tersectnaly actually looks and feels like and what feels like to experience racism and homophobia at the same time. Growg up a nservative majory whe town was difficult bee the same kid who would ll me the N-word on one day would ll me a homophobic slur on another day and I was nstantly navigatg the tersectns of those two thgs.

Last month DeSantis’s mpaign released an anti-LGBTQ+ vio assailg Tmp for his past support of gay and transgenr ments: “It is a sry time to be not jt LGBTQ but LGBTQ and Black this state and ultimately that’s the tent. Colorado Sprgs, wh jt unr 500, 000 rints, is home to several ary bas and is the headquarters for Foc on the Fay, a nservative Christian group opposed to queer rights, cludg same-sex marriage and gay adoptn. The state’s ernor, who is the untry’s first openly gay ernor, Gov.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GUNMAN GAY NIGHT CLUB

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class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name">Julianne McShane</span>, <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Andrew Blankste</a></span> and <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Deon J. Hampton</a></span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A gunman entered a Colorado Sprgs LGBTQ club and immediately began firg wh a semitomatic rifle Saturday, killg five people and jurg 25, officials said.</p><p class="">Colorado Sprgs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez praised "at least two heroic people" si Club Q who, he said, "nonted and fought wh the spect and were able to stop the spect om ntug to kill and harm others."</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">"We owe them a great bt of thanks," Vasquez said at a news nference Sunday morng. </p><p class="">"Their actns clearly saved liv," Mayor John Suthers said later at the news nference. </p><p class=""><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>Follow for live verage of the shootg.</em></strong></a></p><p class="">Club owner Matthew Hayn told NBC News he never imaged “this level of hate” would scend on his club. He said the timg of the shootg worsens the suatn wh Thanksgivg on the horizon.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“Fay members won’t be wh their fay members,” Hayn said.</p><p class="">Hayn opened the club 20 years ago to give people a place to gather and be themselv.</p><p class="">“We started when there were darker days. We didn’t have a lot of rights and we need plac to have a muny, and that’s what Club Q has been for 20 years,” Hayn said.</p><p class="">The spect, whom officials intified as Anrson Lee Aldrich, 22,<strong> </strong>was jured the attack, apprehend and hospalized, Sgt. Pamela Castro, the Colorado Sprgs Police Department spokwoman, said.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Vasquez said the weapon ed was a rifle ma the style of the Colt AR-15, a high-powered rifle <a href=" target="_blank">veloped for ary e</a> but first sold for sportg purpos.<strong> </strong>A handgun was also found at the scene, the chief said, but wasn't immediately clear if belonged to the spect or someone else.</p><p class="">A man wh the spect's name and age was the subject of a June 2021 report of a bomb threat, <a href=" target="_blank">acrdg to a news release</a> om the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, which noted that the man's mother told thori "her son was threateng to e harm to her wh a homema bomb, multiple weapons, and ammunn."</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="People gather for a vigil at All Souls Unarian Universalist Church Colorado Sprgs, Colo., on Nov. 20, 2022, followg a mass shootg at Club Q, a gay nightclub." height="1667" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">People gather for a vigil at All Souls Unarian Universalist Church Colorado Sprgs, Colo., on Sunday.</span><span class="ptn__source">Deon Hampton / NBC News</span></figptn></figure><p class="">The spect that se was si a home about a e om his mother's hoe, acrdg to the sheriff's office, which add that officials evacuated nearby hom followg the bomb threat. It took thori more than three hours to get the spect to surrenr, and officials arrted him on two unts of felony menacg and three unts of first-gree kidnappg. No bombs were found, acrdg to the sheriff's office.</p><p class="">It was not immediately clear how the se was adjudited or whether was dropped or layed.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Officials at the news nference Sunday did not nfirm whether the spect that se was the same one believed to be the shooter at Club Q. </p><p class="">But Howard Black, spokman for the district attorney's office, said an email that the prev se “is part of the vtigatn at this time,” and “addnal rmatn will be released as appropriate.” </p><p class="">The FBI was assistg on the scene, Castro said.</p><p class="">Vasquez said “at least two firearms were found at the scene” and that officials “are still workg to intify the firearms and who they belong to.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Castro said at the news nference that "numero people" were transported to multiple hospals by ambulance and police cisers, and that hospal officials were helpg police notify the fay members of those jured. </p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Police enter Club Q Colorado Sprgs, Colo., on Nov. 20, 2022, as they ntue to vtigate the Saturday night shootg that left several people ad and multiple others jured." height="1690" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Police enter Club Q Colorado Sprgs, Colo., on Sunday, as they ntue to vtigate the shootg that left five people ad and 25 jured.</span><span class="ptn__source">Christian Murdock / The Gazette via AP</span></figptn></figure><p class="">By Sunday afternoon, 15 victims were beg treated for juri at two hospals, officials said. </p><p class="">Eleven patients were beg treated at Memorial Hospal Central, acrdg to UCHealth public and media relatns manager Kelli Christensen. Late Sunday afternoon, UCHealth said one person had been released, leavg 10 hospalized. </p><p class="">Chief Medil Officer David Stebner said the juri of those at Memorial Hospal Central clud “multiple gunshot wounds” that left “several people” the ICU.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Four victims were beg treated at Penrose Hospal, spokperson Ldsay Radford said. Two of those victims were cril but stable ndn, and the other two were stable ndn. </p><sectn class="le-vio le-vio---body"><div class="le-vio__background"><div class="le-vio__player"><div class="vioPlayer styl_vioPlayer__bL8AJ styl_adNotPlayg__Q51_C styl_alignDktopBottom__4cHaO styl_alignMobileBottom__bhgkQ"><div class="vioSlate"><a href=" class="allowClicksOnPreview"><picture class=""><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet="><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet="><img loadg="lazy" src="></picture></a><div class="playButtonOuter absolute absolute-fill w100 dn-prt"><div class="absolute absolute-fill w100 df ems-center ems-center-m jtify-center jtify-center-m"><div class="play le-vio__play-button"><svg class="play--in" xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 15 15" prerveAspectRat="xMidYMid" style="max-width:30px"><path d="M0 0v15l15-7.41z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></div></div></div><div id="154716229746"></div></div></div></div><div class="le-vio__"><h2 class="le-vio__tle"><a href=">Wns scrib fearg for life durg Colorado Sprgs shootg</a></h2><span class="le-vio__tail"><span>Nov. 20, 2022</span><span>01:42</span></span><div class="styl_share__n3Syu le-vio__share dn-prt"><div class="styl_shareExpanr__hVk8d le-vio__share-expanr styl_hoverEffect___Dj4s"><span class="styl_shareDot__9pfRZ le-vio__share-dot"></span><svg class="styl_shareClose__6BZxR le-vio__share-close" viewBox="0 0 15 15"><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="0" y2="15"></le><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="15" y2="0"></le></svg></div><div class="styl_shareList___M8wC le-vio__share-list"><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-facebook styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-twter styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href="mailto:?subject=Wns scrib fearg for life durg Colorado Sprgs shootg& class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-email styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">At the news nference earlier Sunday, Penrose Chief Medil Officer William Plth said the five victims there who were not cril ndn "maly had extremy juri." </p><p class="">Twenty-five victims total were jured the shootg, officials said. </p><p class="">District Attorney Michael Allen said that there is "no ongog threat that we are aware of" and that the se will be officially transferred to his office the g days. </p><h2 class="">'A safe haven for our LGBTQ cizens'</h2><p class="">Police rpond to ial lls at 11:57 p.m. lol time. Social media footage om across the street and verified by NBC News showed dozens of police vehicl and a fire tck ployed near the club.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">The first officer arrived on the scene at midnight, and the spect was taed two mut later, officials said at a news nference Sunday morng. </p><p class="">Club Q was hostg a “Drag Divas” show followed by a DJ night on Saturday, acrdg to s Facebook page.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Jsy Smh Cz embrac Jadzia Dax McClendon the morng after a mass shootg at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub Colorado Sprgs, Colo.,, on Nov. 20, 2022." height="1667" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Jsy Smh Cz embrac Jadzia Dax McClendon the morng after a mass shootg at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub Colorado Sprgs, Colo.</span><span class="ptn__source">Jason Connolly / AFP - Getty Imag</span></figptn></figure><p class="">On Sunday, acrdg to s Facebook page, Club Q planned to host a Drag Bnch for all ag, as well as later performanc to honor Transgenr Day of Remembrance, an annual observance that started 1999 to honor the memory of transgenr people killed acts of anti-trans vlence, <a href=" target="_blank">acrdg to GLAAD</a>. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">So far this year, at least 32 transgenr people have been shot or killed, <a href=" target="_blank">acrdg to the Human Rights Campaign</a>, though that unt do not appear to clu the Colorado Sprgs victims. </p><p class="">Drag performers have bee a <a href=" target="_blank">particular target</a> of right-wg activists and policians, who claim they “groom” children. <a href=" target="_blank">Some policians</a> have proposed banng kids om drag events and crimally chargg any parents who brg their kids to such events.</p><p class="">Vasquez lled Club Q "a safe haven for our LGBTQ cizens."</p><sectn class="le-vio le-vio---body"><div class="le-vio__background"><div class="le-vio__player"><div class="vioPlayer styl_vioPlayer__bL8AJ styl_adNotPlayg__Q51_C styl_alignDktopBottom__4cHaO styl_alignMobileBottom__bhgkQ"><div class="vioSlate"><a href=" class="allowClicksOnPreview"><picture class=""><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet="><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet="><img loadg="lazy" src="></picture></a><div class="playButtonOuter absolute absolute-fill w100 dn-prt"><div class="absolute absolute-fill w100 df ems-center ems-center-m jtify-center jtify-center-m"><div class="play le-vio__play-button"><svg class="play--in" xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 15 15" prerveAspectRat="xMidYMid" style="max-width:30px"><path d="M0 0v15l15-7.41z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></div></div></div><div id="154721349612"></div></div></div></div><div class="le-vio__"><h2 class="le-vio__tle"><a href=">Communy gathers for vigil after Colorado Sprgs LGBTQ club shootg</a></h2><span class="le-vio__tail"><span>Nov. 20, 2022</span><span>01:58</span></span><div class="styl_share__n3Syu le-vio__share dn-prt"><div class="styl_shareExpanr__hVk8d le-vio__share-expanr styl_hoverEffect___Dj4s"><span class="styl_shareDot__9pfRZ le-vio__share-dot"></span><svg class="styl_shareClose__6BZxR le-vio__share-close" viewBox="0 0 15 15"><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="0" y2="15"></le><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="15" y2="0"></le></svg></div><div class="styl_shareList___M8wC le-vio__share-list"><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-facebook styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-twter styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href="mailto:?subject=Communy gathers for vigil after Colorado Sprgs LGBTQ club shootg& class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-email styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">Officials are vtigatg whether the shootg was a hate crime.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">While the motive of the attack was not immediately known, amid what Print Joe Bin <a href=" target="_blank">earlier this year lled</a> "risg hate and vlence" agast LGBTQ people.<strong> </strong></p><p class="">Hate crim agast LGBTQ people were up 51% last year pared to 2020, acrdg to a <a href=" target="_blank">report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism</a> at California State Universy, San Bernardo. </p><p class="">The shootg six years after the 2016 <a href=" target="_blank">massacre at Pulse</a>, a gay nightclub Orlando, Florida, which left 49 people ad and dozens jured.</p><p class="">LGBTQ advot spoke out agast the shootg and support of the victims Sunday.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">"From Pulse to Colorado Sprgs to so many other liv stolen om — this has occurred for far too long," the Human Rights Campaign’s g print, Kelley Robson, said a statement.</p><p class="">"You n draw a straight le om the false and vile rhetoric about LGBTQ people spread by extremists and amplified across social media, to the nearly 300 anti-LGBTQ bills troduced this year, to the dozens of attacks on our muny like this one," said Sarah Kate Ellis, the print and chief executive officer of GLAAD, a media advocy anizatn foced on LGBTQ reprentatn. </p><h2 class=""><strong>Lears react</strong></h2><p class="">Bin nmned the shootg a lengthy statement which he noted that while the motive the shootg remas unclear, LGBTQ people, and transgenr women of lor particular, face pecially high rat of vlence. </p><p class="">“Plac that are supposed to be safe spac of acceptance and celebratn should never be turned to plac of terror and vlence. Yet happens far too often,” Bin said. “We mt drive out the equi that ntribute to vlence agast LGBTQI+ people. We nnot and mt not tolerate hate.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Transportatn Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who as a ndidate the 2020 printial electn beme the <a href=" target="_blank">first openly gay ndidate</a> to n for the natn’s hight office, lled the news of the shootg “sickeng and heartbreakg” and part of a “pattern” a tweet Sunday. </p><p class="">“We n not, will not, allow hate to w. We mt end this our time,” Buttigieg wrote. “No rt until all of , cludg all of the LGBTQ+ muny, n be, and feel, safe.”</p><sectn class="le-vio le-vio---body"><div class="le-vio__background"><div class="le-vio__player"><div class="vioPlayer styl_vioPlayer__bL8AJ styl_adNotPlayg__Q51_C styl_alignDktopBottom__4cHaO styl_alignMobileBottom__bhgkQ"><div class="vioSlate"><a href=" class="allowClicksOnPreview"><picture class=""><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet="><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet="><img loadg="lazy" src=" height="1080" width="1920"/></picture></a><div class="playButtonOuter absolute absolute-fill w100 dn-prt"><div class="absolute absolute-fill w100 df ems-center ems-center-m jtify-center jtify-center-m"><div class="play le-vio__play-button"><svg class="play--in" xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 15 15" prerveAspectRat="xMidYMid" style="max-width:30px"><path d="M0 0v15l15-7.41z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></div></div></div><div id="154704965938"></div></div></div></div><div class="le-vio__"><h2 class="le-vio__tle"><a href=">Bin reacts to ‘vastatg’ Colorado Sprgs adly shootg</a></h2><span class="le-vio__tail"><span>Nov. 20, 2022</span><span>02:12</span></span><div class="styl_share__n3Syu le-vio__share dn-prt"><div class="styl_shareExpanr__hVk8d le-vio__share-expanr styl_hoverEffect___Dj4s"><span class="styl_shareDot__9pfRZ le-vio__share-dot"></span><svg class="styl_shareClose__6BZxR le-vio__share-close" viewBox="0 0 15 15"><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="0" y2="15"></le><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="15" y2="0"></le></svg></div><div class="styl_shareList___M8wC le-vio__share-list"><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-facebook styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-twter styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href="mailto:?subject=Bin reacts to ‘vastatg’ Colorado Sprgs adly shootg& class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-email styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who 2018 <a href=" target="_blank">was the first openly gay man elected ernor</a> and is currently quarantg wh Covid, lled the shootg "horrific, sickeng, and vastatg" a statement released Sunday morng. </p><p class="">"My heart breaks for the fay and iends of those lost, jured, and trmatized this horrific shootg," he said, addg that "every state rource is available to lol law enforcement Colorado Sprgs." </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">"We are eternally grateful for the brave dividuals who blocked the gunman likely savg liv the procs and for the first rponrs who rpond swiftly to this horrific shootg," Polis, a Democrat, said. "Colorado stands wh our LGTBQ muny and everyone impacted by this tragedy as we mourn together."</p><p class="">“We have to protect LGBTQ liv om this hate,” Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., <a href=" target="_blank">tweeted</a>. </p><p class="">"As we seek jtice for this unimagable act, we mt do more to protect the LGBTQ muny and stand firm agast discrimatn and hate every form," Sen. Michael Ben, D-Colo., <a href=" target="_blank">said on Twter</a>.</p><p class="">Other lol lears also shared their outrage and ndolenc Sunday. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“We have so much work to do to stop this om happeng aga,” Rep. Judy Amabile, a Colorado state lawmaker who reprents Boulr, <a href=" target="_blank">said on Twter</a>.</p><p class="">“My heart is wh our LGBTQ+ muny as we all reel om this vlence,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., wrote a <a href=" target="_blank">tweet</a>.</p><p class="endmark"><em>Julianne McShane reported om Massachetts, Andrew Blankste om Los Angel and Deon J. Hampton om Colorado Sprgs.</em></p></div><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><span class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--no-image expand-byle__thumbnail"></span><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name">Julianne McShane</span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><span class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--no-image expand-byle__thumbnail"></span><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Andrew Blankste</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-facebook"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Andrew Blankste is an vtigative reporter for NBC News. He vers the Wtern U.S., specializg crime, urts and homeland secury. </p></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><span class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--no-image expand-byle__thumbnail"></span><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Deon J. Hampton</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Deon J. Hampton is a natnal reporter for NBC News.</p></div></div><div class="expand-ntributors">Matthew Mulligan<!-- -->, <!-- -->Alex Lo<!-- --> and <!-- -->Dennis Romero<!-- --> <!-- -->ntributed<!-- -->.</div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail layout-grid-em grid-l-4_5-l grid-l-3_5-xl grid-l-ph-half-xl"><div class="ad article-body__right-rail--ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxrail" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[300,250],[360,360]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="10" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="body-bottom-remend"><div class="ad ad--midrponsive ad-ntaer dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="midrponsive" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[700,1],[5,5]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="300" data-reh-terval="0" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te"></div></div></div></div></div></article></div></div><div id="hfs-footer" class="dn-prt" data-activy-map="hfs-footer"><footer class="hfsf" ><div class="ner"><div class="logo"><a href="><svg class="peack" viewBox="578 62 67 39" xmlns=" fill="currentColor"><g fill-le="evenodd"><path d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M597.563 75.863l9.442 21.613-19.478-13.35c-4.887-3.24-3.896-8.79-1.19-11.237 3.83-3.24 9.245-2.12 11.226 2.97"></path><path class="feather" d="M610.57 70.93l-3.433 24.19-9.772-23c-2.113-5.75 2.64-9.516 5.81-9.583 3.632-.396 8.188 2.38 7.396 8.394"></path><path class="feather" d="M625.494 72.103l-9.707 23.067-3.102-20.82c-.265-3.17 1.716-3.237 2.443-3.832-.133-.463-1.124-.463-1.124-.463h-1.848c-.198-5.42 4.028-7.8 7.462-7.535 3.697.132 7.856 4.428 5.876 9.583"></path><path class="feather" d="M635.338 84.167L615.86 97.584l9.177-21.348c2.775-6.742 9.245-5.42 11.556-2.842 2.51 2.51 3.235 7.6-1.255 10.773"></path><path class="feather" d="M637.448 99.9h-22.515l18.29-12.756c4.49-2.975 9.244-.266 10.498 3.635 1.327 4.36-1.65 9.12-6.27 9.12"></path></g></svg></a></div><nav class="lks"><ul class="lks__wrap" data-l-2="14" data-l-3=15><li><a href=" target="_self">About</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Contact</a></li><li><a href=">Help</a></li><li><a href=">Careers</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ad Choic</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy Policy</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Do Not Sell My Personal Informatn</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CA Notice</a></li><li><a href=">Terms of Service (Updated JULY 7, 2023)</a></li><li><a href=">NBC News Semap</a></li><li><a href=">Advertise</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Shoppg</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Personal Fance</a></li></ul></nav><div class="py"><p>© 2023 NBC UNIVERSAL</p><div class="brands"><a href="><svg viewBox="0 0 120 20" fill="none" xmlns=" aria-labelledby="nbc_news_logo"><tle class="nbc_news_logo">NBC News Logo .

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