Candlelit vigil honors victims of Club Q tragedy 2 years later
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Two years after the mass shooting at Club Q, people are gathering to remember those lost in the tragedy and reflect on what's happened since.
On the night of November 19th, 2022, a shooter armed with a rifle and a handgun, entered an LGBTQ+ nightclub on N Academy Boulevard; opening fire on a crowd that had gathered for a night of music, dancing, and socializing.
When it was all said and done, five people lost their lives: Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Kelly Loving, Raymond Green Vance, and Ashely Paugh.
Things may have been even worse, were it not for two club patrons: military veterans Thomas James, and Richard Fierro. Both are credited with taking down the shooter, Anderson Aldrich, who's now serving multiple life sentences in prison.
Survivors from the deadly mass shooting gathered Tuesday night at Club Q for various reasons, "It was cold that night. It's cold tonight. November 19th. It's always going to be cold, but there's warmth in our hearts," Ed Sanders said.
Several dozen people went out to connect through embraces, tears, and fond memories; paying tribute to the five people killed that night.
For many, a night they'll never forget, "It was surreal. Pretty much Kelly Loving was next to me and died. The person to the left of me survived. I was in the middle and broken ribs, saved the bullet from hitting my heart. And that's probably why I'm here talking right now," Sanders said.
While his physical wounds have healed, Sanders says the past two years have not been easy, "It's been a rough road and the community has been divided, but coming together, it's for these five murdered people is the reason."
The location here of Club Q off of N Academy Boulevard remains closed and serves as an informal memorial.
A new location, "The Cue", which is inside the Satellite Hotel on Lakewood Circle, is hosting another gathering, open to all, where they will continue what they are calling "A Night of Resilience and Strength: A Community Gathering."
