Mass shooting at Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub left 5 dead; Suspect, 22, in custody

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Five people are dead and multiple others are injured after a shooting at a Colorado Springs gay nightclub.

The Colorado Springs Police Department provided an update on the shooting at 8 a.m. Watch that press conference below:

During the press conference, police released the name of the suspect as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich. According to CSPD, he had two firearms. At least one was a long rifle.

ABC News confirmed the shooter was involved in a reported bomb threat in Colorado Springs in June 2021. According to a press release from the incident by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the suspect's mother called law enforcement to report that he was threatening to cause harm to her with a homemade bomb, multiple weapons, and ammunition.

KRDO previously reported that the incident resulted in homes within a 1/4-mile radius of a house on Rubicon Dr. in Lorson Ranch being evacuated.

The State Court Administrator's Office released a statement on Twitter saying "the court doesn't have any public records available under the suspect's name related to this weekend's shooting in Colorado Springs, or any other matter in Colorado."

However, that means that no official charges have been brought against him. At this time, ABC News is reporting that he was involved in the June incident.

The victims' names have not yet been released, we will provide that information as soon as it's available to the public. Police are also not releasing the names of the witnesses.

CSPD provided a timeline of the shooting:

At 11:56 p.m., dispatch received a call about an active shooter
At 11:57 p.m. officers were dispatched to Club Q
At 12 a.m. officers arrived at the scene
At 12:02 a.m. the suspect was taken into police custody

Police hailed patrons in the club as heroes. Colorado Springs Police Chief Vasquez said at least two people inside confronted the shooter as he was making his way through the club and fought with him. They were able to stop the suspect from continuing to kill and harm others.

Chief Vasquez said we owe them a great debt of thanks.

At this time, police said it's too early to determine a motive and cannot say whether or not this was a targeted attack against the LGBTQ community.

According to 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, this is being investigated through "the lens" of a hate crime. However, the current biased-motivated crime statute in Colorado might provide some elevation but won't elevate it beyond charges like first-degree murders, a class one felony.

The Denver FBI Field Office released the following statement regarding the investigation:

If additional suspects are arrested, their names will be released by law enforcement.

According to the CSPD, five people died and 25 people were injured in the Club Q mass shooting. CSPD updated the number of those injured at 11:33 a.m. Sunday.

13 Investigates' Dan Beedie interviewed Joshua Thurman who was inside Club Q when the gunman opened fire.

Hear Joshua describe those harrowing moments below:

A vigil is set for Sunday evening at Temple Beit Torah. This gathering was already set for the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is Sunday, Nov. 20.

People are welcome to join at 522 E. Madison St. This is an interfaith vigil. We've been told there will be security.

For updates on the shooting, click here.

Previous Coverage:

Watch the press conference from the Colorado Springs Police Department at 3 a.m. below:

According to CSPD, officers responded to reports of an active shooting at Club Q in the 3400 block of N. Academy Blvd. at 11:57 p.m. Officers from all four patrol divisions in the city responded to the shooting.

At the scene, Lt. Castro with CSPD said officers immediately located the suspect inside the bar. That suspect has since been taken to a hospital for medical attention and is in custody. It's unclear what those injuries are, however, Lt. Castro said this shooting did not involve officers.

According to police, five people are dead and at least 18 others are injured in the shooting. The victims were taken to hospitals around the city.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department said they triaged the scene. This was treated as a mass casualty event response, something CSFD said firefighters are trained for.

At this time, CSPD said most individuals not injured in the shooting have been reunited with their loved ones. The department is working with hospitals to notify families and loved ones of the injured and deceased.

CSPD said N. Academy Blvd. is closed in both directions between N. Carefree Cir. and Village Seven Rd. while law enforcement works in the area. There isn't a timeline for how long this investigation will take but people are asked to avoid the area into Sunday morning.

If you are searching for a loved one who might've been at Club Q Saturday night, you're asked to contact the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.

Anyone who has video of the shooting or was a witness not already interviewed at the scene, please contact the police. All vehicles at the scene at the time of the shooting are to remain at the scene, according to CSPD.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is on the scene and helping with the investigation. Officers are with victims at the hospital.

Club Q's released the following statement on its official Facebook page:

Club Q 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.

Club Q

KRDO asked police if they believe this attack was a hate crime. CSPD said it's too early in the investigation to determine a motive.

According to Club Q's website, Saturday night had a drag show earlier in the night and was set to stay open until 2 a.m.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group, a mass shooting is defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed.

KRDO spoke with a man who was at Club Q roughly ten minutes before shots were fired. He was able to connect with one of his friends who was shot at the hospital. According to him, his friend said the shooter came into the nightclub and began firing. The friend said the suspect was wearing a mask and a vest of some sort.

He also said he lost friends in the shooting.

Watch the full interview here:

Lt. Castro said there will be an 8 a.m. press conference with more information.

As of 7 a.m., CSPD is still on Priority Dispatch status due to the mass shooting and other priority calls. Only emergency calls involving injury or a threat to safety will be dispatched at this time.

KRDO will stream that press conference.

This is a developing story.