Governor visits Colorado Springs Tuesday to reflect on Club Q mass shooting
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Gov. Jared Polis visited the memorial to victims outside Club Q, the LGBTQ+ club where a suspect killed five people and injured more than a dozen others in a shooting two weekends ago.
Polis arrived at the memorial, near the intersection of Academy Boulevard and North Carefree Circle, shortly after 4 p.m.
At around 4:30 p.m., the governor then stopped at the Atrevida Beer Company, near the intersection of North Nevada Avenue and Mount View Lane; the brewery is owned by the wife of Richard Fierro, one of the heroes who saved lives by helping to subdue the suspect.
Fierro received more public recognition shortly afterward when he accepted a $50,000 check from Ent Credit Union, in front of a crowd of supporters and customers.
A female Ent employee was shot in the incident and is recovering at a local hospital; her husband also was injured and attended the ceremony to show support.
"It's not just me," Fierro said, modestly. "Ent is doing a lot to help a lot of other people, too. This blew me away. I never expected this. I can use it to help get my business back on solid ground. We've been struggling during the pandemic. I'm grateful to Ent."
Ent spokesman Matt Gendron said that his staff began discussing the possibility of a reward for Fierro just a day after the shooting.
"We wanted to do something, we had to do something," he said. "He saved a lot of lives, including the life of an Ent family member. That's what spurred us on."
As part of the 11th anniversary of the international charity event Giving Tuesday, Atrevida will donate $1 from each pint of beer sold, to the LGBTQ+ group at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs; Ent will match the donation.
UCCS spokesperson Melinda Hagemann said that Ent agreed to make the donation months ago and she's thankful that Atrevida remained committed in the aftermath of the tragedy.
"The donations will benefit M.O.S.A.I.C.," she explained. "It's a great center that creates community by bringing students together, providing resources, advocacy, a voice in the campus community, outreach and training. The donation will allow us to do more of that."
Atrevida is usually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but opened from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday for the award and donation.
The brewery was filled to capacity for most of the evening, with a steady stream of customers expressing support.
Fierro announced that his daughter, also a shooting victim, made it through surgery Tuesday.
