Young Colorado family moves forward, forever changed by Club Q tragedy
Colorado Springs is preparing to mark a year since the mass shooting at Club Q. The tragedy claimed five lives on Nov. 19, 2022. Seventeen others were injured and continue to recover from physical and emotional scars of that night.
A year ago, Chip Law and his wife Joanne shared a hospital room in Colorado Springs, and their need for medical care hasn't ended.
The parents of young children, ages 9 and 4, miraculously survived the mass shooting. The Laws were celebrating a night out with their friends, including Raymond Green Vance, who died in the tragedy.
"My injuries are still there. I can't really feel my left leg very well. So that's always a constant reminder of what happened. My wife has, she sustained quite a bit of injuries so she has more surgeries coming up at the end of the year," Law told us.
Law says returning to work full time and raising their kids has helped them feel normal, as has the warm embrace of friends and neighbors in Colorado Springs.
"Our church came out in force, decorated our home for Christmas which was just awesome when we got out of the hospital. That was so healing for us."
Yet Law and his wife both have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. They work with therapists regularly to process what they've experienced and to learn how to manage triggers.
Law said, "Analyzing how we move in public, looking for things like exits. I hate to say the word 'profiling', but profiling people when they come in. Are these people going to be a threat, are they normal?"
The October shooting in Lewiston, Maine that left 18 people dead re-traumatized the young family.
They are focused more than ever on spending time together.
"We know how precious our children are, and to see that was just horrifying and we're still not really addressing any issues, it's just pass it along for another two weeks until the next shooting happens," Law said.
Law wants people to focus on where they can make a difference, spreading kindness and checking on people who may be struggling.
He said, "That's my big takeaway is just loving on people. Mental illness is a real thing in this country and I think we really need to focus on that."
A remembrance ceremony is planned for Nov. 19 to mark the year since the massacre at Club Q. The event will take place at noon at the club, which has been shuttered since the tragedy.
RELATED: Club Q to reopen in new location at the Satellite Hotel in Colorado Springs, rebrand as "The Q"
