Hero of Colorado Springs Club Q shooting, Congressman respond to president’s call for assault weapons ban

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- As one of the heroes who saved lives by stopping the accused shooter in the November shooting at the Club Q that killed five people and injured nearly two dozen, you'd expect Richard Fiero to have a strong perspective on whether assault weapons should be banned.

However, Fiero said that he's remaining neutral.

“That’s up to the American people and Congress to figure out," he said. "I can’t influence that. It’s not who I am. But I do have my own opinions, and that’s what my opinion is about.”

President Joe Biden called for an assault weapons ban during his State of the Union address Tuesday night; Fiero and his wife attended the event as guests of Rep. Jason Crow, a Denver-area Democratic Congressman.

KRDO spoke with Fiero and Crow -- both Army veterans -- via an online interview Wednesday as the pair sat in Crow's Washington, D.C. office.

Crow said that he supports a ban on assault weapons.

“As many times as I’ve gone hunting, I never took my assault weapon with me in the woods to deer hunt, ad I never took my deer-hunting rifle with me to Iraq and Afghanistan. And I don’t believe (assault weapons) belong in our communities. It’s never something that I’ve needed for home defense.”

In recent years, Democrats have been more in favor of gun control than Republicans; the GOP has said that while it doesn't oppose gun control entirely, it wants to maintain the rights of citizens to own guns and protect themselves -- as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the Constitution -- or at least allow states, not the federal government, to legislate gun control.

"We (Congress) have tried to pass an assault weapons ban since the previous ban (expired) in 2004," Crow explained. "Legislation has always cleared the House but failed in the Senate. President Biden was instrumental in getting a ban enacted from 1994 to 2004, and he has said that he regrets not doing more to continue it."

There’s another potential hurdle regarding an assault weapons ban.

Two political scientists writing for the nonprofit, independent news website The Conversation say that such a ban focuses too much on military-style semiautomatic weapons and mass shootings, and doesn’t include a greater focus on other guns that kill far more people in homicides and suicides.

"It is no wonder that while many Americans approve of federal efforts to regulate firearms, most don’t expect legislation to do much to reduce gun violence," the article reads.

Earlier this month, a group of 200 House members introduced a bill that would ban the sale, import, manufacture, or transfer of certain semi-automatic weapons; it's one of three bills that have been proposed this session.

Meanwhile, a draft of a bill at the state Legislature is called the Mass Shooting Prevention Act of 2023, which critics believe would ban a wider range of firearms including assault weapons; that bill has yet to be officially introduced.

While the process of assault weapon legislation continues, Crow said that other steps have been and will be taken to reduce gun violence and increase safety.

"We've passed legislation focused on hate crimes in vulnerable communities," he said. "Recently, we passed the anti-Asian hate crimes bill and I've voted several times for the Equality Act, as just one example. Hate crimes are on the rise, and I'm also trying to discourage hateful rhetoric."

Crow also points to the Safe Communities Act passed by Congress last summer.

"It was a bipartisan bill," he said. "It's the first gun violence prevention legislation in three decades. It enhances background checks and provides grants for states to implement red flag laws and for schools to better address safety and mental health. It won't solve everything, but it's a good start."

Fiero said that he was excited to attend the State of the Union address.

"You study this stuff, you see it on TV, but you never actually, really see democracy in action -- and when you do, it's a very powerful thing," he said. "I'm not a very political guy. I just like the process and I like seeing these things happen."

Crow escorted the Fieros on a tour of the nation's capital, after which the couple will head to Arizona as guests of Sunday's Super Bowl.

But despite the honors he's received, he described the weeks since the shooting as rough.

"There's bad days, man," he explained. "I've had those days before in combat. My PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is there, and it's a thing. I've managed it for the last ten years, and now it's kind of going back to the same drill."

Fiero said that he continues to undergo counseling and take medication to manage his PTSD.

"I'm just trying to get by, like everyone else," he said. I just hope the community love and support continues."