What we know about the Colorado Springs shooting victims
Two bartenders were among the five people killed in a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs on Saturday, family and friends have confirmed. Police on Monday confirmed the names of those who were fatally shot, and as witnesses begin to speak out alongside family and loved ones, details about the victims are emerging.
Derrick Rump, a Colorado College graduate who was originally from Berks County, Pennsylvania, was one of two bartenders killed in the shooting, CBS News has confirmed. His friend, Anthony Jaramillo told CBS Philadelphia that Rump was "loving, supportive, with a heavy hand in his drink pouring, and just a really good listener."
A second bartender, Daniel Aston, was also killed, CBS News confirmed. Aston, a 28-year-old transgender man from Tulsa who moved to Colorado Springs two years ago, worked as an entertainer at the nightclub in addition to behind the bar, the Associated Press reported. His parents, Sabrina Aston and Jeff Aston, told the AP that their son "lit up a room" and was "always smiling, always happy and silly."
"We are in shock, we cried for a little bit, but then you go through this phase where you are just kind of numb, and I'm sure it will hit us again," Sabrina Aston said, according to the AP. "I keep thinking it's a mistake, they made a mistake, and that he is really alive."
During a press conference on Monday, Colorado Springs police identified the other three victims as Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Raymond Green Vance. The department shared photos of the victims on Twitter as the announcement was made, and the images were later shared again by state governor Jared Polis. "Too often, society loses track of the victims of these sad and tragic events," said Colorado Springs police chief Adrian Vasquez during the press conference before leading the room in a moment of silence.
We remember those and hold them close in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/dgNjf1xFCV
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) November 21, 2022
Details about the attack have trickled in steadily since news first broke early on Sunday morning, and police identified the suspected gunman as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, who was in custody and receiving treatment for injuries. Investigators have not announced a potential motive nor have they determined whether the shooting can be prosecuted as a hate crime. El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen said charges brought against the suspect "will likely include first-degree murder."
At a news conference, Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said the suspect shot at patrons inside Club Q, described as a "safe haven" for the city's LGBTQ community. The suspect opened fire with a "long rifle" as soon as he entered the building, and authorities found at least one other firearm at the nightclub, Vasquez said. Police have declined to offer further details on the weapons used and how they were obtained, citing the integrity of the investigation.
Seventeen people suffered gunshot wounds, one person suffered a non-gunshot injury and at least one person was a victim "with no visible injury." On Monday, an official for Centura Penrose Hospital said that three people remain hospitalized there in stable condition.
Local officials, including Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, and witnesses have credited several Club Q patrons for confronting and subduing the gunman until police arrived, hailing them as heroes. Suthers noted in a statement released Sunday that "their actions saved lives."
On Monday, the two patrons were identified as Richard Fierro and Thomas James.