Live blog: Here's what we know so far on the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs

The suspect in the shooting at Club Q, a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub, is now identifying as non-binary, according to court filings filed Tuesday.

"Anderson Aldrich is non-binary. They use they/them pronouns, and for the purposes of all formal filings, will be addressed as Mx. Aldrich," a footnote in a court filing reads.

Read the full story here.

The man being held in connection with the Club Q killings was actually born Nicholas Brink but had his name legally changed in 2016, according to court records obtained by CBS News Colorado.

Those records show that just prior to his 16th birthday, Nicholas Brink had his name changed to Anderson Lee Aldrich. Court records in Texas reviewed by CBS News Colorado do not detail the reason for the name change.

Read the full story here.

The suspect in the shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, is out of the hospital and now in the El Paso County Jail, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.

The suspect was reportedly subdued and attacked by at several people at the bar, comprising a mix of employees and patrons. One customer at the bar, Richard Fierro, rushed the suspect and punched him in the face repeatedly while taking one of his guns from him.

The suspect is facing at least 10 charges, including five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of a bias-motivated crime.

Read the full story here.

The suspect in the fatal shooting of five people at a Colorado gay nightclub changed his name more than six years ago as a teenager, after filing a legal petition in Texas saying he wanted to "protect himself" from a father with a criminal history.

The 22-year-old suspect, who faces murder and hate crime charges, was known as Nicholas Brink until 2016. Just before his 16th birthday, he petitioned a Texas court to change his name, court records show. A petition for the name change was submitted on Brink's behalf by his grandparents, who were his legal guardians at the time.

Read the full story here.

In the wake of Saturday night's deadly shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, where five people were shot and killed and more than a dozen others injured, Gov. Jared Polis' office has released some resources for those struggling with mental health or experiencing a crisis. 

Statewide Crisis Services and Mental Health Resources

Colorado Crisis Services: For help with any mental health, substance use or emotional concern, call Colorado Crisis Services at 844- 493-TALK (8255), or text TALK to 38255. Our trained professionals provide free, immediate, and confidential help, 24/7/365. Learn more at ColoradoCrisisServices.org.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) offers 24/7 call, text and chat access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org. Youth can request a counselor who specifically focuses on the needs of LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults via call, text, and chat.

OwnPath: OwnPath connects Coloradans with behavioral health providers licensed by the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) and to search for specific services or use a guided search to identify providers or resources that best meet their needs. Learn more at OwnPath.co.

Youth-Focused Crisis Services and Mental Health Resources

Below the Surface: Below the Surface aims to help teens connect to and get support from the Colorado Crisis Services (CCS) text line. Text TALK to 38255 to speak with a trained counselor 24/7 on a personal, free, confidential line. Learn more at BelowTheSurfaceCo.com.

IMatter: I Matter provides up to six free therapy sessions for any Colorado youth 18 years of age or younger, or 21 years of age or younger if receiving special education services. Therapy is provided by licensed clinicians in Colorado. Visit IMatterColorado.org to sign up for free therapy sessions.

Inside Out Youth Services: Inside Out Youth Services builds access, equity, and power with LGBTQIA2+ young people, through leadership, advocacy, community-building, education, and peer support. Find a list of LGBTQIA+ resources at InsideOutYS.org/Resources.

The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S. It is 100% confidential, and 100% free. Visit TheTrevorProject.org to get connected.

Colorado Springs Focused Crisis Services and Mental Health Resources

A Community Resource Event will be held at UCCS Kevin W. O'Neill Cybersecurity & Research Center (3650 N Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80907) to provide mental health resources, spiritual support, emotional support animals, childcare, emergency financial resources, LGBTQ+ support, meals, and other services.

Security for all attendees will be provided by uniformed Colorado Springs police officers. The event is designed to be an inclusive and safe space for all community members to gather, grieve, and obtain emotional support. This event is not open to the media for interviews or camera footage.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Wednesday, November 23, 2022, 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Hard Beauty: Hard Beauty provides recovery services including coaching, support groups, professional development, peer recovery support and community events. Learn more at HardBeauty.life. Hard Beauty will offer recovery services free of charge to anyone who wants or needs additional support at the Community Resource Event (see details above).

Diversus Health: Diversus Health Lighthouse facility in Colorado Springs is a walk-in crisis center for all ages. They provide crisis services, counseling, and psychiatric therapy, as well as round-the-clock acute care for mental wellbeing. Learn more at DiversusHealth.org.

National Alliance on Mental Illness Colorado Springs: NAMI Colorado Springs creates and cultivates a welcoming community of peers who educate, support and advocate for people and families living with mental health conditions. It offers in-person and virtual support groups. Learn more at NAMIColoradoSprings.org.

PeakView Behavioral Health: Peak View offers complimentary assessments 24/7 for individuals of all ages seeking help and support for mental health and/or substance use in Colorado. Learn more at PeakViewBH.org. 

The Colorado Healing Fund, recommended by the State of Colorado, is accepting donations in the aftermath of the Club Q deadly shooting in Colorado Springs. The nonprofit was created to help communities rebuild after tragedy strikes. 

Donations will go to the victim's families and survivors. As of Monday afternoon, the fund has collected more than $56,000. 

LINK: Colorado Healing Fund

Tracks, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Denver, is coming together with Colorado's interfaith community to honor the victims of the Club Q shooting.

The mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs is profoundly impacting the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. It is crucial that Coloradans take care of our mental health in times like this and know there is no shame in doing so. 

CBS News Colorado Anchor Mekialaya White sat down for an in-studio interview with Dr. Carl Clark, the president and CEO of WellPower, formerly known as the Mental Health Center of Denver, for a candid discussion on how best to cope going forward.

Clark has dedicated his career to improving the well-being of the Denver community through a focus on health promotion, well-being, resilience, and recovery across the lifespan. "We see all age groups from young children to the elderly. Psychotherapies when they're having trouble seeing, thinking, or doing things. And we include positive psychology which overall contributes to our well-being. We also work with the body to help the mind and we do social determinants of health." 

Read Full Story Here

A year and a half before he was arrested in the Colorado Springs gay nightclub shooting that left five people dead, Anderson Lee Aldrich allegedly threatened his mother with a homemade bomb, forcing neighbors in surrounding homes to evacuate while the bomb squad and crisis negotiators talked him into surrendering.

Yet despite that scare, there's no public record that prosecutors moved forward with felony kidnapping and menacing charges against Aldrich, or that police or relatives tried to trigger Colorado's "red flag" law that would have allowed authorities to seize the weapons and ammo the man's mother says he had with him.

Gun control advocates say Aldrich's June 2021 threat is an example of a red flag law ignored, with potentially deadly consequences. While it's not clear the law could have prevented Saturday night's attack — such gun seizures can be in effect for as little as 14 days and be extended by a judge in six-month increments — they say it could have at least slowed Aldrich and raised his profile with law enforcement.

Read Full Story Here

One of the people being hailed as a hero for stopping the gunman in the Club Q shooting late Sunday night is reportedly a military veteran who was at the club with his wife and daughter.

Richard Fierro of Colorado Springs is a U.S. Army veteran. The stress of the incident and the attention was overwhelming, said his wife Jessica. She feared it was triggering his PTSD.

Fierro, 45, had gone to the club Saturday night with his wife and daughter, who Jessica Fierro identified as the girlfriend of one of the shooting victims, Raymond Green.

"She is overwhelmed to have lost her boyfriend," said Jessica Fierro. Mother and daughter were slightly injured and recuperating at home. The mother described her injuries as bruises.

The family had gone to Club Q together to see a performance by an old friend of his daughter's.

"I have no shame in this. I support my community, no matter who that is," explained Fierro. "We do the pride parade because we love our community. Doesn't matter LGBT, doesn't matter straight. I'm straight. My kids are straight. But we go there. Why? Because of our community."

A New York Times report indicates military records show Richard Fierro left the Army in 2013 as a major.

As the shooting started, Fierro recognized it and the smell of gunfire.

"I just know I got into mode and I needed to save my family. And that was at that time, everybody in that room," he said.

He fell backwards, then got up and went after the gunman, joined by another man identified as Thomas James.

"I grabbed [the gunman] by the back of his little cheap ass armor thing and I pulled him down," Fierro said. "The young man that was sitting there, jumped up with me. I don't know if he helped pull me, pulled him down, I have no idea."

Fierro said it was just gut reaction, but referred to his military past as well.

"That's what I was trained to do," he explained. "I saw him and I went and got him. And when I pulled him down, I told him when I was hitting him, 'I want to kill you guy.'"

Fierro grabbed the handgun away and said he told the other man to push away the AR15-style weapon the man had.

"I just kept whaling on him. And I told the kid in front of me, 'Kick him in his head, keep kicking him in his head,'" he recalled. "One of the performers was running by and I told her, 'kick this guy, kick this guy,' and she took her high heel and stuffed it in his face, or his head or whatever she could hit."

Police who came in took the gunman and Fierro into custody. He spent time in a patrol car as they sorted things out. He said he has no problem with that.

The suspect, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich was taken to a hospital for treatment and is facing at least 10 charges, including five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of a bias-motivated crime.  

Local officials, including Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, and witnesses credited Club Q patrons and employees, hailing them as heroes: "In my opinion, and I think the opinion of everyone involved, saved a lot of lives ... I have never encountered a person who had engaged in such heroic actions, that was so humble about it."

Fierro is disturbed and heartbroken by the shooting.

"I used to tell my soldiers, 'let's go. We gotta get on the next patrol. Let's go, we gotta' get out there,'" he said. "Nobody in that building is going to be able to do a next patrol."

He hopes people will be supportive and remember those that were lost and injured.

"I want those five families to know that's all I care about. I want those in the hospital, please get better, just get better," he said. "Use this and shake someone's hand. Give them a hug, give them a kiss. These were good people, man. They were all kids."

The suspect in the shooting at Club Q, years ago, belonged to the Church of Latter-Day Saints, a church spokesman confirmed Monday.

"I can confirm that the suspect is listed on the rolls of the Church but he has not been involved in Church services for some time, a decade or more," Sam Penrod, media relations manager for the church, told CBS News Colorado.

The church did share the following statement regarding the shooting: "The senseless act of violence in Colorado Springs is of great sadness and concern to us. We are greatly troubled by any violence in our communities and condemn most especially violent acts that are the result of intolerance against any of God's children. We join with others in mourning the loss of those whose lives were taken and offer prayers of comfort and deepest condolences to their loved ones. We also pray for healing for the survivors of this shocking shooting and express our love to them." 

The church prohibits same-sex marriages and says homosexual behavior violates its laws.

"Sexual relations are reserved for a man and woman who are married and promise complete loyalty to each other," the church's doctrine reads. "Sexual relations between a man and woman who are not married, or between people of the same sex, violate one of our Father in Heaven's most important laws and get in the way of our eternal progress."

At the same time, it says, "identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or experiencing same-sex attraction is not a sin and does not prohibit one from participating in the Church, holding callings, or attending the temple."

The five victims who died in the shooting have been identified as Ashley Paugh (she/her), Daniel Aston (he/him), Derrick Rump (he/him), Kelly Loving (she/her), Raymond Green Vance (he/him).

The FBI is asking anyone with information about the deadly shooting at Club Q to call and speak with an agent, regardless of how small or insignificant that person believes the information may be. 

The FBI has set up a tipline for anyone with information, video, who witnessed or was driving by, or may have information about the suspect in the Club Q shooting to please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (or 1-800-225-5324).

The Colorado Healing Fund, recommended by the State of Colorado, is accepting donations in the aftermath of the Club Q deadly shooting in Colorado Springs. The nonprofit was created to help communities rebuild after tragedy strikes. 

Donations will go to the victim's families and survivors. As of Monday afternoon, the fund has collected more than $56,000. 

LINK: Colorado Healing Fund

The number of people injured in the Club Q shooting was revised on Monday afternoon. The number of people shot and killed remained at five, however the number of injured has been reduced from 25 to 19.

According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, not including the suspect, five people were killed, 17 people were injured with a gunshot wound, one person was injured not with a gunshot wound and another person was a victim with no visible injuries. 

The police department is asking that "anyone in the community who might have been a victim or has information about a potential victim, or might have seen something, has information about this incident, to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by calling1-800-CALL-FBI (or 1-800-225-5324)."

The Club Q suspected gunman faces at least 10 charges in the deadly shooting, including five charges of first-degree murder and five charges of bias-motivated crime. Five people were killed and 25 others injured in the Saturday night shooting in Colorado Springs.   

The suspect has been identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22.  

A man who was working behind the bar at Club Q when the shooting started on Saturday night said that he thought he was going to die. Five people were killed and 25 others injured when the shooting broke out at the LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs. 

''We're kind of all hidden in a corner, there was nowhere to go so we're all just terrified, just holding each other. And then shortly after that it went silent. The gunshots stopped, everything stopped," said Club Q bartender Michael Anderson. 

Police credit patrons with stopping the gunman from causing even more bloodshed at the LGBTQ nightclub. Police said one patron grabbed the gun from the suspect, hitting him with it and pinning him down until officers arrived. Club Q on its Facebook page thanked the "quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack." 

The suspect has been identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22. He faces at least 10 charges in the deadly shooting, including five charges of first-degree murder and five charges of bias-motivated crime. 

"The door from the dance floor to the patio is a glass door and all that glass had been shattered, it was all over the floor and I saw someone lying there who I know having been shot in the neck," said Anderson.

Authorities were called to Club Q at 11:57 p.m. Saturday with a report of a shooting, and the first officer arrived at midnight. Club goers have said that dozens were dancing when the shots began. 

The shooting happened during Transgender Awareness Week and just at the start of Sunday's Transgender Day of Remembrance, when events around the world are held to mourn and remember transgender people lost to violence.  

A large crowd attended an interfaith service in Colorado Springs on Sunday night where they remembered those killed and injured in the shooting.

The tragedy that occurred at Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub, Club Q, is being felt across the state. Denver's queer community reacted with a show of support, but also anger at another instance of hate-fueled violence. 

"Today of all days, it just hits home," said Denver LGBTQ advocate, Pasha Ripley.  

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, Colorado's queer community woke up to the news of a mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub. 

Read the full story. 

"Everyone else was running away, he ran towards." LGBTQ club owners are praising a customer who rushed the gunman in the Club Q mass shooting.

Life has been hell for Matthew Haynes, founding partner of Club Q and Nic Grzecka, co-owner of Club Q since Saturday night when a gunman began shooting indiscriminately inside the venue in Colorado Springs. 

"It is going to take days, if not weeks or months in this community to wrap its head around the hate, the injuries, the death that came," Grzecka said Sunday, while at a vigil for the victims. 

Read the full story. 

Jerecho Loveall spoke with CBS News Colorado about his experience. He was shot in the leg during the rampage and didn't realize it until later. He was sitting at the bar when the gunman entered the club.

"Everyone was scared. He came in shooting a rapid fire weapon. I'm not familiar with guns, so I can't tell you what kind of gun it was. But it was definitely a rapid-fire and it was definitely a rifle of some sort," he said.

Then he saw people in the bar jump on the shooter: "the people that got on top of them had people that were already injured and had already been shot. But the guy held him down and kept him down until the police arrived."

Read the full story. 

Gil Rodriguez and Felicia Juvera went to Club Q for the first time since the start of the pandemic to support their friend, DJ T Beats, who was DJing at the club that night.

Rodriguez, an Air Force veteran, thought the first shot that was fired was part of the music, but then his military training kicked in and recognized the subsequent shots for what they were.

"I felt a bullet graze my foot which kind of like woke me up to realize that the shooter was looking in our direction," he said. But his friend Tara, the DJ he came to support, had been shot in the back, he said.

Read the full story.

One man who was in Club Q at the time of Sunday's deadly shooting spoke to CBS News Colorado about what he heard and saw.

"I lost friends," Joshua Thurman said through tears. "I'm not okay."

Thurman said he heard four or five muffled blasts that he initially thought were part of the music. 

"I heard another set of shots ring out and I saw the flash of the muzzle when I looked to my left and I took off running to the dressing room. Immediately, I locked the door and turned off all the lights."

He said there were two other people in the room with him and at least one of the others called the police.

Read the full story.

President Joe Biden issued a statement Sunday morning on the deadly mass shooting that took place overnight at Club Q, a Colorado Springs LGBTQ club.

"While no motive in this attack is yet clear, we know that the LGBTQI+ community has been subjected to horrific hate violence in recent years.," he said, in part. "Places that are supposed to be safe spaces of acceptance and celebration should never be turned into places of terror and violence. Yet it happens far too often. We must drive out the inequities that contribute to violence against LGBTQI+ people. We cannot and must not tolerate hate."

Read the full statement and full story here.

A suspected gunman is in custody after a mass shooting at a LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs overnight. A total of five people were shot and killed and at least 17 people were hurt, and the shooter was also injured.

On Sunday morning Colorado Springs police said it happened at Club Q just before midnight and the lone suspect was arrested a few minutes after midnight following a large police response.

The suspect was in custody at the hospital, according to a CBS affiliate in Colorado Springs. So far it's not clear if the suspect was shot by police officers. That person has been identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22.

Lt. Pamela Castro of the told the Associated Press that the FBI was on the scene and assisting in the case.

Justin Adams was the first CBS News Colorado reporter at the scene Sunday morning.

 See his first report from the scene below.

In response to the deadly mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs, the Denver Broncos announced it will hold a moment of silence before its game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Read the full story here.

Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday morning sent a statement about the overnight shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub. Polis, who became the first openly gay governor in American history when he was elected into office in 2018, called the shooting that left five dead and at least 17 injured "horrific, sickening and devastating."

"My heart breaks for the family and friends of those lost, injured and traumatized in this horrific shooting. I have spoken with Mayor Suthers and clarified that every state resource is available to local law enforcement in Colorado Springs," Polis said.

"We are eternally grateful for the brave individuals who blocked the gunman, likely saving lives in the process, and for the first responders who responded swiftly to this horrific shooting," he continued. "Colorado stands with our (LGBTQ) Community and everyone impacted by this tragedy as we mourn."

A vigil is planned for Sunday morning to memorialize the five victims that were killed and 18 that were injured in the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.

The vigil will take place at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at All Souls Unitarian Church, 730 North Tejon Street.

It's being organized by the Citizen's Project, a Colorado Springs-based organization started in 1992 to oppose anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

An interfaith vigil is planned for 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Temple Beit Torah, 522 East Madison Street, with a virtual option also available. That vigil is planned in observance of Trans Day of Remembrance, a day intended to memorialize trans people that were murdered due to transphobia.

For more information, visit beit-torah.org.

The suspect in the overnight mass shooting at a LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs has been identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich. He is 22.

Last year several different Colorado Springs news outlets reported that a suspect with the same name was arrested in a menacing case there involving a possible bomb threat.

When asked about the suspect's possible prior criminal history in a news conference on Sunday morning, Colorado Springs Police Department Deputy Chief Adrian Vasquez didn't share any additional information.

Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers spoke Sunday morning about the mass shooting that occurred earlier that day at Club Q, a gay bar at 3430 North Academy Boulevard.

"Colorado Springs is once again in mourning after the tragic shooting at Club Q," Suthers said at a news conference Sunday morning. "Our hearts go out to the victims and their families who are bearing the weight of this horrific tragedy.

"As indicated, there is much we're still waiting to learn about this tragic incident," he continued. "We know one or more patrons heroically intervened to subdue the suspect and we praise those individuals that did so because their actions clearly saved lives. We also thank our first responders across the Pike's Peak region who quickly responded."

He said the first officer arrived on the scene three minutes after the first call and the suspect was subdued two minutes after that.

Suthers went onto say that he's been in contact with Gov. Jared Polis, who can't be in Colorado Springs because he's in COVID quarantine. He's also been in touch with other elected officials that represent Colorado.

He said the investigation is ongoing and they're releasing information as quickly as they can, but urged people to be patient.

Colorado Springs Police Department Deputy Chief Adrian Vasquez spoke at a news conference Sunday morning and shared a message to the victims of the mass shooting at LGBTQ nightclub Club Q.

"I want to express my condolences to those families that have lost the loved ones during this tragic event and to those that were injured today during this tragic shooting," Vasquez said. "I want every citizen in our city to know that the men and the women of the Colorado Springs Police Department stand with you during this tragedy."

"We are working tirelessly to ensure that justice for the victims in this senseless and evil shooting is given."

Club Q, where this weekend's mass shooting in Colorado Springs took place, is located at 3430 North Academy Boulevard. That's in the central part of the city and close to Palmer Park.

It released the following statement on Facebook: "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."

Several people have posted videos of the chaotic scene outside Club Q in Colorado Springs following the mass shooting overnight. Dozens and dozens of police cars, fire engines and ambulances were present along North Academy Boulevard outside the scene.

Authorities said they are doing everything they can to notify families of those involved in the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.

They are asking that anyone who has a loved one who was possibly a victim to contact them.

The phone number for the Colorado Springs Police Department is 719-444-7000. Their website is: coloradosprings.gov/police-department