5 DEAD, 18 HURT IN SHOOTING AT GAY NIGHTCLUB IN US
COLORADO SPRINGS: A 22-yearold gunman opened fire inside an LGBTQ nightclub in United States’ Colorado, killing five people and wounding more than 18 others in a mass shooting being investigated as a possible hate crime, police said on Sunday. The suspect, who was taken into custody, was identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, Colorado Springs police chief Adrian Vasquez said in a press conference.
COLORADO, US: “Heroic” clubgoers fought and stopped a gunman shortly after he opened fire inside a LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and injuring 18 others, police said on Sunday.
Police identified the suspect as Anderson Lee Aldrich, a 22-year-old man, who was taken into custody minutes after the shooting broke out and was being treated for injuries after the attack at Club Q.
Club Q, which describes itself as an adult-oriented gay and lesbian nightclub, called Saturday night’s events a “hate attack” in a statement on its Facebook page. Authorities said they were investigating whether the attack was motivated by hate.
Two firearms were found at the scene, Colorado Springs police chief Adrian Vasquez said on Sunday morning, adding the suspect used a long rifle during the rampage.
Colorado governor Jared Polis, who is openly gay, commended the “brave individuals who blocked the gunman” in a statement released on Twitter in which he called the shooting “horrific, sickening, and devastating”.
Police said the initial phone call came just before midnight about the shooting, and that the suspect was apprehended within minutes.