The shooting at the Club Q nightclub occurred nearly a month ago, and, as usual, after a brief time of consistent media coverage, the story disappeared from headlines and news stations. However, just because the story is no longer trending does not diminish its importance or the fact that it still has farther to go.

On Saturday, November 19, a shooter, armed with a handgun and rifle, entered Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs. The story of the shooting flooded the news, alerting Americans of the hate crime that left five dead and twenty-five injured. The suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, has been charged with three-hundred-five counts and is awaiting a preliminary hearing in court on February 22, 2023.

One of the heroes to emerge from the event was Richard Fierro, a retired army major who later explained how his military instincts kicked in to protect the family who he was at the club with. Fierro tackled the gunman to the ground, took his handgun, and hit him with it, preventing the shooter from doing more harm than he had already done until the police came. Thomas James worked by his side to protect other people in the club.

The shooting was devastating for the survivors in addition to those who died. Some people, like Joshua Thurman, testified that the club was one of the first places where they felt safe and at home, only for the place to be torn apart by hate. The fact that the shooting occurred the night before Trans Day of Remembrance also sparked additional sadness and fear in those who heard the story. 

Those who died in the shooting were Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, and Derrick Rump. It is important to say their names and talk about their lives, instead of using them as another statistic, which the media so often does. The people who died at Club Q, and those who died as a result of so many other hate crimes and acts of violence, had lives and important roles to play in their societies and in this world. 

The shooting also was a cry for stricter gun regulations and gun control. With stories of shootings everywhere (especially in schools) flooding the news, the Club Q shooting was the last straw for many. Those people are disappointed to see that there isn’t more action being taken or more regulations placed on gun ownership.

The LGBTQ+ community has been a target of hate and bigotry for decades. The Club Q nightclub shooting was not the first act of violence against this group, and, unfortunately, it will not be the last. However, providing love and support to the community will uplift its members and hopefully encourage others to share their support until the hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people are reduced to none. 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/06/us/club-q-shooting-suspect-charges/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/22/us/colorado-springs-nightclub-shooting-narrative-cec

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/21/colorado-springs-clubq-shooting-live-updates/

https://denverite.com/2022/11/21/denverites-gathered-in-solidarity-with-club-q-and-colorado-springs/

https://www.npr.org/2022/11/21/1138131985/what-we-know-colorado-springs-lgbtq-club-shooting