Club Q shooting news - live: Colorado Springs gunman Anderson Lee Aldrich taken down by US army veteran

Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich is facing at least five counts of murder charges along with five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury.

At least five persons were killed and 18 others sustained injuries when the 22-year-old suspect stormed into an LGBT+ nightclub just before Saturday midnight and opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle.

The suspect was taken down by an army veteran with the help of a trans woman who stomped on the suspect. “It’s the reflex,” Rich Fierro told reporters on Monday evening.

He said after recognising the shooter, he ran across the room, grabbed his weapon, and pulled him to the floor.

Mr Fierro said he then “proceeded to take his other weapon, a pistol, and just started hitting him wherever I could, but the armour was in the way.”

The police on Monday named the victims along with their pronouns. They have been identified as Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh and Raymond Green Vance.

Key Points

• Here’s what we know so far about the five victims

• Trans woman in heels helped army veteran subdue gunman

• Suspect facing multiple counts of hate crime charges

• Governor condemns ‘horrific, sickening and devastating’ shooting

• Suspect arrested in 2021 for ‘threatening’ mother with bomb

• Mass shooting took place on eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance

Club Q patron says it was a ‘sanctuary'

04:19 , Io Dodds

A Club Q regular who lost two friends in the shooting has described how it served as a "sanctuary" for him and his community.

According to Buzzfeed News, a man named Anthony, who did not want to give reporters his last name, said he expects to feel uncomfortable going out in public for a long time.

"That has always been one of my mom's biggest worries and concerns – going out and being gay and not having somewhere to go," Anthony said.

"But when I was welcomed into Q by a bunch of people, I knew that I had a home. I had a safe space, and they made sure that everybody knew that it was a safe space."

Prosecutors can’t explain why 2021 case was dropped

03:12 , Io Dodds

Colorado prosecutors still refuse to say why a case against the shooting suspect was dropped last June, citing state laws designed to shield acquitted defendants from discrimination.

Interviewed on CBS News earlier this evening, district attorney Michael Allen said he couldn't disclose anything about the previous arrest of suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich because any dismissed case is "almost automatically" sealed.

He pushed back on the news anchor's suggestion that dropping the case allowed the suspect to evade firearms regulations, saying: "You're jumping ahead a little bit to a conclusion that is not necessarily supported."

Mr Allen also discussed the nature of the hate crime allegations against Mr Aldrich, which are known in Colorado as "bias-motivated crimes".

"We would have to show that he had some sort of animus, that he specifically targeted some groups," he said.

"Sexual orientation is one of the groups that fall under that matrix. There's obviously some evidence here that he may have targeted the location for that reason."

Anti-trans conservatives double down on 'groomer' rhetoric

02:04 , Io Dodds

Some hardcore conservatives are already doubling down on "groomer" rhetoric against LGBT+ people in the wake of the shooting.

"Leftists are using a mass shooting to try and blackmail us into accepting the castration and sexualisation of children," said anti-transgender campaigner Matt Walsh, who has referred to transition healthcare for under-18s as "molestation and rape" and "child abuse".

In this case, by the castration of children" he means providing puberty-blocking drugs or hormone replacement therapy to transgender children, and by "sexualisation" he appears to mean educating children about LGBT+ people.

Right-wing broadcaster Steven Crowder likewise said: "The Left melts down over mean tweets but celebrate the murdering of babies and child mutilation." By that he meant abortion and trans healthcare for under-18s.

Political pundit Ben Shapiro called it "cynical and ridiculous" to link anti-LGBT+ violence to anti-LGBT+ rhetoric, which he described as "noticing what the Left is doing with kids", while lawyer and commentator Kurt Schlichter said he would not "shut up about the abuse of children".

YouTuber Tim Pool went further, appearing to excuse violence against LGBT+ people as an understandable consequence of legislators' failure to "stop the grooming".

This kind of language is becoming routine on the hard right, conflating LGBT+ education, gender transition healthcare, and non-sexually-explicit drag shows with sexual abuse.

LGBT+ activists and terrorism researchers have warned that such claims lay the groundwork for violence against all LGBT+ people by dehumanising them and depicting their identities as inherently dangerous to children.

Full story: Anderson Lee Aldrich out of hospital

01:07 , Io Dodds

Here's my full story on suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich's release from hospital.

A tweet from the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) confirmed that Mr Aldirch had been transferred to jail under the custody of the local county sheriff’s department

Although officials did not give any details about Mr Aldrich's injuries, we do know from witnesses that the shooter was forcibly subdued by a group of patrons led by local Army veteran Richard Fierro, 44.

Mr Fierro said he grabbed the shooter's pistol and repeatedly beat him with it, while another patron stomped on the attacker with her high heels.

Suspect released from hospital

00:39 , Io Dodds

Suspected shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich has been released from hospital and transferred to jail, according to reports.

"CSPD has turned over custody of the Club Q suspect to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office at the jail. A photo will be released when available," said the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Mr Aldrich, 22, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and hate crimes and is scheduled to face a judge tomorrow morning via video link.

ICYMI: Who were the victims?

00:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The five victims who lost their lives in a mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub have been identified.

A gunman burst into Club Q and opened fire just before midnight on Saturday, opening fire with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.

The suspect — identified by police as Anderson Aldrich, 22, allegedly shot five people; two bartenders, a mother-of-one on a night out, a transgender woman and a local man celebrating a friend’s birthday.

Police initially said 25 were wounded in the attack, but revised the figure down to 18 on Monday. Many suffered horrendous injuries and face a lengthy recovery.

Here’s what we know about those who died.

Who were the people killed in the Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub shooting?

Full story: Biden phones Club Q hero

23:22 , Io Dodds

Here's our full story on President Joe Biden's phone call with former Army veteran Richard Fierro, courtesy of my colleague Oliver O'Connell.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also noted that the attack happened on the evening of Transgender Day of Remembrance, lamenting that two more names have now been added to the list of transgender people murdered in 2022.

Marjorie Taylor Greene criticised for Colorado shooting response

22:49 , Oliver O’Connell

Marjorie Taylor Greene was back causing controversy this week after she chose her response to the mass shooting at an LGBT club in Colorado as a means for attacking Joe Biden on unrelated issues.

Ms Greene’s two-tweet thread addressing the attack that saw five killed and more than a dozen wounded surprised few; the tweets did not address the significance of the target nor the wave of hate that right-wing political figures have directed at LGBT people and transgender Americans in particular over the past few years.

John Bowden has the story.

Marjorie Taylor Greene criticised for response to Colorado shooting

Witness says gunman was stomped by trans woman, not ‘drag queen’

22:15 , Io Dodds

A transgender woman who helped take down the Club Q gunman was misidentified in media reports as a drag queen, according to an actual drag performer who saw it happen.

In an interview with former Army major Richard Fierro on Monday, The New York Times reported that a "drag dancer" had helped him subdue the attacker by stomping on him with her high heels. Other outlets, including The Independent, picked up this detail.

But drag artist Del Lusional, who was performing at the club on the night of the shooting, said on Tuesday: "The one who saved my life and stomped the shooter’s face in was not a drag queen, she is a trans woman. Let’s not call trans women drag queens during this time of grieving over a transphobic attack.

“I was the only performer from the show in the building when it happened.”

She added that she believed Mr Fierro made an honest mistake, and said the woman is not yet ready to speak to the press.

The distinction is important because, although the lines can sometimes be blurred, drag is usually seen as a type of performance, with artists typically maintaing a separation between their drag persona and their usual self. By contrast, most trans people consider their gender as an innate and permanent part of their identity.

When The Independent became aware of Del Lusional's tweet early this morning, we made a judgement that her version was likely to be correct, and immediately began changing various headlines and stories to reflect the new information.

Still, I wanted to make this post now to clearly explain how the original claim came about. If you spot anything on our site that still describes the woman as a drag queen, send me an email at io.dodds [AT] independent.co.uk.

Joe Biden phones Richard Fierro to thank him

21:43 , Io Dodds

President Joe Biden has called Club Q hero Richard Fierro to personally thank him “for his bravery and for his just instinct to act".

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that Mr Biden had just got off the phone with Mr Fierro, a former Army major and club patron who led the charge to subdue the attacker,

"The president just moments ago spoke to Richard and his wife Jess. He offered his condolences to them and also his support and he talked through what it’s like to grieve," Ms Jean-Pierre said.

Mr Fierro was assisted by another man named Thomas James and by an unknown trans woman who stomped on the gunman with her high heels.

Suspect changed name to 'protect himself from criminal father'

21:10 , Io Dodds

New details about the life of suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich suggest a complicated family life and a difficult upbringing.

According to The Associated Press, Mr Aldrich changed his name from Nicholas Brink just before his 16th birthday in order to "protect himself" from a father with a criminal history.

"Minor wishes to protect himself and his future from any connections to birth father and his criminal history. Father has had no contact with minor for several years," said a petition filed in San Antonio, Texas on Mr Aldrich's behalf by his grandparents – who were his legal guardians at the time.

The Washington Post also reports that Mr Aldrich's mother, Laura Voepel, was arrested for suspected arson when he was only 12 years old. She was eventually found guilty of a less serious crime.

The Post also said Mr Aldrich was targeted by bullies when he was 15, based on a website where "insulting accusations" and his personal details were posted.

Opinion: The terrible hypocrisy of Lauren Boebert's 'thoughts and prayers'

20:41 , Io Dodds

Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert is "morally responsible" for Saturday night's violence, writes gender-non-conforming journalist Skylar Baker-Jordan for The Independent.

Ms Boebert tweeted on Sunday morning that "the victims and their families are in my prayers", adding: "This lawless violence needs to end quickly."

But in an opinion piece for Indy Voices, Skylar writes: "Boebert and her vicious, cruel, and hateful confederates should have the decency at least to spare us their platitudes. This environment, dangerous as it is for LGBTQ Americans, is one they created. This is them reaping what they have sown.

"What happened in Colorado Springs was infuriatingly predictable precisely because of the environment the right has created. When you lie to Americans and tell them that an entire demographic of their fellow citizens is a threat to their children and to their freedom, demonizing them as predators and perverts, you have to expect there will be deadly consequences.

"We’ve been warning about this for two years now, telling you how afraid we felt, how wrong you were, how dangerous this was... and now five innocent people are dead."

You can read Skylar's full argument here.

ICYMI: Suspect is grandson of GOP lawmaker who celebrated January 6 Capitol riot

20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The 22-year-old man accused of murdering five and wounding dozens more in a mass shooting in a Colorado gay nightclub is the grandson of a GOP lawmaker who celebrated the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Colorado shooting suspect is grandson of GOP lawmaker who celebrated January 6 riot

No updates from police until next week

20:13 , Io Dodds

We have a new update from the Colorado Springs Police Department – not that it says much.

“At this time, the next expected news release will be Monday, Nov. 28; Colorado Springs Police do not expect to have updates between now and then.

“Please note that there are judicial proceedings under way outside our control. If information becomes available through court action, we will notify our community through various social media platforms and media notifications.

“If the suspect’s photograph becomes available we will release it through these same avenues.”

Veteran gives emotional account of tackling Colorado Springs gunman

19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Richard Fierro, the former US Army major who tackled a gunman to the ground who had opened fire on an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and beat him unconscious, has given an emotional account of his bravery on CNN.

Speaking to John Berman on the network on Monday night, Mr Fierro described what happened when the shooter began firing in Club Q on Saturday night.

Army veteran gives emotional account of tackling gunman at Club Q

Even with Colorado’s ‘red flag’ law the gunman still had firearms — how?

18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The weapons wielded during the attack on Club Q – a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun – are believed to have been purchased legally.

That was despite various state laws designed to stop dangerous people from getting hold of such weapons.

Io Dodds reports.

How did the Colorado Springs gunman get his firearms despite ‘red flag’ law?

Suspected shooter changed his name at 15 after bullying campaign

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The Colorado Springs shooting suspect changed his name at age 15 after being subjected to a vitriolic online bullying campaign, according to reports.

Anderson Aldrich, 22, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of five counts of first-degree murder after he allegedly opened fire moments after entering the LGBT+ venue Club Q on Saturday night.

A review of birth and court records by several media outlets have shed light on Mr Aldrich’s troubled childhood, in which his mother Laura Voepel had several run-ins with authorities.

Bevan Hurley has the details.

Suspected Colorado Springs club shooter changed his name at 15

Republican lawmaker grandfather claims he hasn’t spoken to suspect for 10 years

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The grandfather of a gunman suspected of murdering five club goers at an LGBTQ nightclub claims he hasn’t spoken with him for 10 years, according to reports.

Randy Voepel, a California Assemblyman who spoke in support of the January 6 riots, is yet to publicly confirm his relationship to Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich.

According to Sacramento-based news site KCRA, Mr Voepel’s office says he is not yet ready to speak about his connection to Mr Aldrich.

Bevan Hurley has the latest.

Colorado Springs shooting: Maga grandfather hasn’t spoken to suspect for 10 years

Gunman is registered member of the Mormon church, spokesman confirms

16:55 , Oliver O'Connell

The alleged Colorado Springs shooter is a registered member of the Mormon church, a spokesman has confirmed.

Anderson Aldrich, 22, was arrested on suspicion of hate crimes and the first-degree murder of five people at the LGBTQ venue Club Q on Saturday night.

In a statement to Fox13, a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spokesman said the alleged shooter was on its membership roll but “had not been active in some time”.

Bevan Hurley reports.

Colorado Springs shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich is a registered Mormon

Colorado governor calls on ‘evangelising’ state’s red flag laws

16:30 , Johanna Chisholm

Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in an interview on Monday that the state’s red flag laws, though they’ve been on the books since 2020, isn’t being sufficiently used.

“I think it needs to be really evangelized more and talked about more,” Gov Polis said during an interview on Colorado Matters, CPR reported. “I think that while it has been used a couple hundred times, I think that not everybody knows that it’s on the books.”

“We also have very disparate records of utilizing it from different county sheriffs ... I think everybody should look at their practices and say, ‘Hey, if there’s somebody that we feel is dangerous, that there’s not enough to, you know, take them in and hold them on a criminal charge, can we at least remove access to their weapons?’ There is a way to do that under Colorado law, and I want to make sure people are aware of that and know that.”

Read the full interview here.

DA says charges brought against shooting suspect only preliminary

15:30 , Johanna Chisholm

The suspect shooter at the Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub over the weekend, that left five dead and at least 19 injured, is currently being held without bond on 10 “arrest only” charges. These charges include five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury, according to online court records for Colorado’s El Paso County.

But the state’s district attorney says that those charges are only preliminary and will likely change by the time they are actually filed against 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich.

“There have been reports that charges have been filed. That is not true,” said Michael Allen, Colorado’s Fourth Judicial District Attorney, at a press conference in Colorado Springs on Monday afternoon. “Any case like this, an arrest warrant will be written up that is supported by probable cause affidavit and that will be submitted to a judge for approval of the arrest of a suspect. That has occurred here in this case.”

“Any charges associated with an arrest warrant are only preliminary charges,” he added. “Very customary that final charges may be different than what’s in the arrest affidavit. Typically, there will be more charges than what is listed in the arrest affidavit. So don’t be surprised when you see a different list of charges when we finally file formal charges with the court.”

15:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Police probe motive behind suspect’s attack

14:30 , Johanna Chisholm

The investigation into the Club Q attack in Colorado Springs is in its early stages, but investigators seem to be focused at this point on how the gunman obtained the assault rifle and why he opened fire.

Colorado officials have successfully argued to have all the evidence supporting the charges brought against 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, which includes five counts of murder and five counts of committing a bias-motivated crime that caused bodily harm, be sealed. The officials argued that releasing details would jeopardise the ongoing investigation.

Police identify victims ‘by how they identified themselves’

13:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

In a rare move, the Colorado Springs police department identified the victims of the mass shooting by how they “identified themselves” using their preferred pronouns.

“We respect all of our community members, including our LGBTQ community,” Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said on Monday.

He added: “Therefore, we will be identifying the victims by how they identified themselves and how their families have loved and identified them.”

Mr Vasquez then read out their names along with their pronouns.

Read more here.

Police make point of identifying Colorado victims ‘by how they identified themselves’

How did the Colorado Springs gunman get his firearms?

12:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

In June 2021, Anderson Lee Aldrich walked out of the front door of a house in Colorado Springs with his hands in the air after a stand-off with police.

Authorities arrested him for felony menacing and first-degree kidnapping after his mother alleged that he had threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons.

Seventeen months later, Mr Aldrich, 22, is in police custody on suspicion of killing five people at an LGBT+ nightclub called Club Q.

What's more, media reports suggest that the weapons wielded during the attack – a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun – were purchased legally.

That was despite various state laws designed to stop dangerous people from getting hold of such weapons.

Io Dodds has more.

How did the Colorado Springs gunman get his firearms despite ‘red flag’ law?

Rage and sadness as Colorado club shooting victims honoured

11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Hundreds of people, many holding candles and wiping away tears, gathered Monday night in a Colorado Springs park to honor those killed and wounded when a gunman opened fire on a nightlife venue that for decades was a sanctuary for the local LGBT+ community.

At Monday night’s vigil, people embraced and listened as speakers on a stage expressed both rage and sadness over the shootings.

Jeremiah Harris, who is 24 and gay, said he went to the club a couple times a month and recognized one of the victims as the bartender who always served him.

He said hearing others speak at the vigil was galvanizing following the attack.“Gay people have been here as long as people have been here,” Harris said.

More details here.

Rage and sadness as Colorado club shooting victims honored

Tucker Carlson plays down anti-LGBT+ motive in shooting

10:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Fox News host Tucker Carlson played down the anti-LGBT+ hate that appears to be behind the mass shooting at a Colorado Springs gay club.

In the wake of the mass shooting, the right-wing news presenter brushed off the gunman’s motive, suggesting that the suspect was “clearly a troubled person”.

“So the most obvious question is why did he shoot 30 people? The truth is we don’t know,” he said during The Tucker Carlson Tonight show on Monday.

Read more here.

Tucker Carlson plays down anti-LGBT+ motive in Colorado mass shooting

Five victims identified in Colorado Springs LGBTQ club attack

09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The five victims who lost their lives in a mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub have been identified.

Police initially said 25 were wounded in the attack, but revised the figure down to 18 on Monday. Many suffered horrendous injuries and face a lengthy recovery.

The shooting sparked renewed calls for stricter gun laws and mourning throughout the LGBT+ community, which has been warning since the start of this year that increasingly violent political rhetoric about LGBT+ people could lead to deaths.

Here is what we know so far about the five victims of the Colorado Springs shooting.

Io Dodds reports.

Who were the people killed in the Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub shooting?

Police chief lists pronouns alongside victims' names

08:50 , Io Dodds

In his press conference this afternoon, Colorado Springs police chief Adrian Vasquez made a point of listing the victims according to their gender identities, rather than whatever may have been on their official records.

"We respect all of our community members, including our LGBTQ community. Therefore we will be identifying the victims by how they identified themselves, and how their families have loved and identified them," Mr Vasquez said.

He then listed the names of the victims alongside their pronouns.

Trans people frequently go through life with the wrong gender recorded on their birth certificates, passports, or other government records, often due to high barriers or costs to changing such documents.

'I just started waling away with his gun'

07:43 , Io Dodds

US army veteran Richard Fierro has given an emotional account of his bravery during the shooting, my colleague Oliver O'Connell reports.

Speaking to John Berman on the network on Monday night, Mr Fierro described what happened when the shooter began firing in Club Q on Saturday night.

He recognised that the shooter, 22-year-old Anderson Aldrich, was wearing a flak vest which has a handle on it and ran across the room, grabbed it, and pulled him to the floor.

Another person helped Mr Fierro bring Mr Aldrich to the ground and he told them to push the AR-15 rifle away.

“I then proceeded to take his other weapon, a pistol, and just started hitting him wherever I could, but the armour was in the way,” said Mr Fierro. “I found a crease between his armour and his head and I just started waling away with his gun.”

Read more about that here.

How did the Colorado shooter get his guns?

06:36 , Io Dodds

How exactly did the alleged shooter get hold of his weapons despite Colorado's 'red flag' law? The answer reveals various potential loopholes in the state's gun laws.

Media reports suggest that the weapons wielded during the attack – a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun – were purchased legally, despite the suspect's previous arrest in June 2021 for allegedly threatening his mother with a home-made bomb.

Though we don't know exactly how the guns were bought, it is notable that the local sheriff's office is opposed to Colorado's "red flag" gun law and has declared itself a "Second Amendment Sanctuary".

You can read my full story here.

Drag queen in heels helped army veteran subdue gunman

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A former Army captain tackled the 22-year-old gunman who opened fire on an LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs and beat the suspect unconscious as a drag queen in heels stomped on him.

Richard Fierro, 45, told the New York Times he was with family and friends at Club Q on Saturday night when the suspect burst in and began spraying the club with automatic gunfire.“I just knew I had to take him down,” Mr Fierro said.

As the army veteran shouted at others for help, he said that a patron moved the gunman’s rifle out of reach and a drag dancer began stomping on the suspect with her high heels.

Bevan Hurley has more.

Hero reveals how he tackled Colorado Springs gunman with help from drag queen

MTG criticised for non-sequitur response

05:30 , Io Dodds

Far right Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has been criticised for her response to the shooting, my colleague John Bowden in Washington DC reports.

Ms Greene’s two-tweet thread addressing the attack did not address the significance of the target, nor the wave of hate that right-wing political figures have directed at LGBT+ people and transgender Americans in particular over the past few years.

But what did raise some fury from left-leaning users on the platform was her choice to attack Mr Biden over the issue of fentanyl deaths and immigration in her response – rather a non-sequitur when the alleged shooter is a white American with family ties to a Republican state legislator.

Incidentally, the attack was stopped by a Hispanic former Army major who happily defines himself as an "immigrant".

You can read our full story here.

‘The anti-trans hate machine'

04:19 , Io Dodds

A journalist who studies how right-wing politicians and media outlets whip up hate against transgender people says the Colorado Springs shooting was a "natural result" of current conservative rhetoric.

In an interview with The Independent earlier today, Imara Jones, the head of TransLash Media and a former Clinton Administration aide, said the groundwork for the attack had been laid by a vast "anti-trans hate machine" fuelled by big conservative donors.

"There is an interlocking network of money, politicians, nonprofit organisations, think tanks, and media organisations, both online and offline, that are working to fuel anti-trans hate in this country as part of a larger white supremacist enterprise," said Ms Jones.

She described how hard-right think tanks such as the Family Research Council and the Alliance Defending Freedom propagate "copy and paste" bills attempting to restrict trans rights across multiple states.

That in turn allows local politicians to turn trans rights into a cause célèbre, Ms Jones said, while friendly media outlets portray trans people as a threat to women, children, and traditional family values.

Together, she argued, these forces combine to galvanise extremist groups, stoking an atmosphere of paranoia and panic that can spur them to take direct action.

"It's easier to minimise it and to dismiss it and to say that it's [just] lone individuals who are disturbed, when the opposite is true," she said. "There's this entire subculture... it's not an accident. Again, it is a natural consequence."

Suspect ‘had no relationship’ with his GOP politician grandfather

03:14 , Io Dodds

Sources close to California state legislator Randy Voepel have confirmed that he is the grandson of the Colorado shooting suspect, according to KCRA 3.

But the sources also said that Mr Voepel had not had a relationship with alleged shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich for nearly ten years.

They added that the 72-year-old assemblyman had not tried to interfere in the investigation into alleged bomb threats by Mr Aldrich last year.

Mr Voepel has received death threats and calls to resign since Saturday night's attack, although he cannot do the latter because he lost his seat in the midterm elections.

He has not yet made any official comment.

'I'm just some dude. That's it.'

02:20 , Io Dodds

Richard Fierro concluded his interview with these somber words:

"Those five people didn't make it home. I apologise to them. I wish I could have saved everybody in there. I wish I could have done more. Okay?

"But those people aren't home tonight. I am. And I'm really upset by that. It's not something I'm proud of. So please, point at those victims. All five of them deserve more than anyone standing here right now. I'm just some dude. That's it."

‘My family was everybody in that room'

01:55 , Io Dodds

In his interview just now, Richard Fierro came off as passionate, outspoken, and self-effacing, with an intense devotion to his community.

"I just knew I needed to save my family," he told reporters. "And that family was, at that time, everybody in that room. And that's what I was trained to do. I saw him and I went and got him.

"When I pulled him down, I told him: I wanna kill you, guy. I'm gonna f***ing kill you – " He paused for a moment to apologise for swearing. "He killed a family member. I'm an emotional guy but I try and be strong for my family."

One reporter asked him what element of his military training allowed him to rise to the moment, and he said: "Come on, man. It's the reflex. Right? It's the reflex: go! Go to the fire. Stop the action. Stop the activity. Don't let no one get hurt. I tried to bring everybody back."

When a reporter addressed him as Major, he interrupted: "Don't call me Major. I am retired. I'm proud of my service, but I'm just rich. I'm a civilian." (Our previous description of him as a former captain was incorrect.)

Describing his background, he said: "My mom and dad fought real hard to work hard. My dad was a carpenter. Two words: soy immigrante [I am an immigrant].

"I'm a family of immigrants. My mother in law – everybody's an immigrant. And I'm a rapist or whatever?" The last part was sarcasm, seemingly in reference to Donald Trump's infamous claim in 2015 that Mexico was sending "rapists" to the USA.

Asked how he left the army, he said: "The four tours broke me down, man. I'm a big kid. It's hard for me to stay in shape, it broke me down. So I was done. I couldn't go anymore. I couldn't keep up. I couldn't go anymore."

Richard Fierro: 'Listen, I'm not a hero'

01:29 , Io Dodds

Club Q hero Richard Fierro just gave an amazing interview to reporters, saying he "wasn't thinking" and operated on pure "instinct" when he tackled the shooter.

"I gotta kill this guy," he says, remembering his thinking during the incident. "He's gonna kill my kid. He's gonna kill my wife...

"Listen, I'm not a hero. There's real heroes out there. Right? I hope people that really want to be a hero go do that. Alright? Achieve it. I hope my daughter is a hero.

"I'm not a hero. I'm just some dude – we're just punk kids from San Diego trying to make it, man."

He added: "I'm straight, my kids are straight. But we go there, we patronise [the club] with them. Why? Because it's about community. It's about providing money back into theri system. Everybody needs to survive out here. I love every one of them."

Police must use Colorado's red flag law, says mayor

01:20 , Io Dodds

The mayor of Colorado Springs has given a coded rebuke to the county sheriff's department which has declared its opposition to the state's red flag law.

Sheriffs in El Paso, where the shooting suspect was previously arrested in June 2021, have declared their county a "Second Amendment Sanctuary" and banned officers from filing red flag petitions except in special circumstances.

"My view of the red flag law is that it was passed by the legislature, it is law in Colorado, and law enforcement agencies in appropriate circumstances should take advantage of it and utilise it," said city mayor John Suthers.

But he went on: "I would caution against an assumption that circumstances in this case would lead to an application of the red flag law. We don't know that, and I would caution against any conclusion either way or not."

Police chief Adrian Vasquez agreed, saying: "I would just echo the mayor's stance on the red flag law. It is currently a law in Colorado. If law enforcement has credible information that fits within the parameters of the red flag law, then we should take action on it.

"But as the mayor says we have to have the right information... to be able to do that. So if we do, then of course we should."

Why authorities may have sealed records of suspect’s bomb threats

01:03 , Io Dodds

We now know more about why the records from the suspect's previous arrest were sealed.

At the press conference earlier today, state prosecutor Michael Allen refused to comment on any of Anderson Lee Aldrich's previous interactions with law enforcement.

But he did point out that many criminal cases dismissed in the state of Colorado are automatically sealed, thanks to a bipartisan law passed in 2019.

"Colorado has very restrictive sealing laws," Mr Allen said. "What that means is that if a case is filed in a courtroom in the state of Colorado, and it is dismissed for any reason, whatever that is... it is automatically sealed.

"The idea is that that person shouldn't have to carry that charge around with them for the rest of their lives if there's no way to convict them of that charge. That's the design behind it."

Mr Allen added that the law requires authorities to say that "no such record exists" when asked about such cases.

Mayor praises 'humble' hero who tackled suspect

00:35 , Io Dodds

The mayor of Colorado Springs has praised the man who tackled the shooter to the floor, saying he had never encountered someone "so humble".

At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor John Suthers said he had met with Richard Fierro, a former US Army captain who led the charge against the attacker.

"I had the opportunity before I came here today to talk to Richard Fierro, identified as one of the two heroes that subdued the suspect in this case, and in my opinion – and I think the opinion of everyone involved – saved a lot of lives," Mr Suthers said.

“I have never encountered a person who had engaged in such heroic actions that was so humble about it. He simply said to me: ‘I was trying to protect my family’.”

'I just knew I had to take him down'

00:11 , Io Dodds

Here's our full story on Richard Fierro, the former Army captain who tackled the Colorado Springs shooter.

Mr Fierro, 45, told The New York Times he was with family and friends at Club Q on Saturday night when the suspect burst in and began spraying the club with automatic gunfire.

He said that his military training kicked in and he ran towards the gunman, grabbed him from behind by his body armour, and pulled him to the ground, before repeatedly hitting him over the head with his own pistol.

“I just knew I had to take him down,” Mr Fierro said.

My colleague Bevan Hurley explains more here.

Video: Aldrich surrenders to police in June 2021

Monday 21 November 2022 23:54 , Io Dodds

Here’s the video of Anderson Lee Aldrich surrendering to police after alleged bomb threats in June last year.

Mike Pence backed away from anti-LGBT figures before Colorado shooting

Monday 21 November 2022 22:40 , Graig Graziosi

Former vice president Mike Pence appeared to take a step back from his party’s hard-right wing stand in an interview that was taped just days before the deadly attack at a gay nightclub that has been blamed on a rising tide of anti-LGBT hate.

Mr Pence was interviewed by Margaret Brennan on CBS’s Face the Nation this past week; his remarks were broadcast on Sunday.

During the interview, he was asked about the legislation which was passed by the US Senate this week, seeking to protect the rights of same-sex marriages at the federal level.

Unlike other conservatives in his party, Mr Pence seemed to back away from the rhetoric that has been embraced by many far-right commentators such as Matt Walsh, Chris Rufo, and Tucker Carlson seeking to link LGBT+ Americans to pedophilia.

John Bowden has more.

Mike Pence backed away from anti-LGBT figures before five killed in Colorado shooting

Drag dancer ‘stomped on gunman with her high heels'

Monday 21 November 2022 22:36 , Io Dodds

The man who led the fight to subdue the gunman has described how Club Q patrons and performers rallied to his side as he wrestled the attacker to the floor.

Richard M Fierro, an Army veteran who was sitting at a table with his wife, daughter, and friends when the attack began, told The New York Times that he had gone into “combat mode”.

“I don’t know exactly what I did... I just [knew] I have to kill this guy before he kills us,” Mr Fierro said. After hitting the floor to avoid the bullets, he raced across the room, threw the gunman to the floor, and wrestled a pistol out of his hand.

Struggling with the shooter, screaming at each other, Mr Fierro called for help – and other patrons responded. One man grabbed the rifle and took it out of reach, while a drag dancer began stomping on the intruder with her high heels.

What about Colorado's 'red flag' law?

Monday 21 November 2022 22:20 , Graig Graziosi

Colorado has gun laws that are supposed to prevent dangerous people from being able to buy guns. Could they have stopped this shooting?

The Rocky Mountain state imposes background checks on all gun sales, restricts gun ownership for certain people convicted of domestic violence, and a red flag law that allows judges to seize guns from people deemed dangerous.

A man with the same name and age as the suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, was arrested last June for making bomb threats against his mother, which in theory might trigger one of these laws. But authorities dropped the case for unknown reason.

The red flag law, which came into effect on 1 January 2020, allows citizens and police officers to petition a judge to grant an “extreme risk protection order” against a gun owner they believe to be dangerous, forcing them to hand over their weapons for between 14 days and one year.

But an investigation by KUSA News found that only 60 per cent of these petitions are granted, a figure which drops to 32 per cent when they were filed by citizens rather than police officers.

Moreover, El Paso county – where Mr Aldrich was arrested last year – has declared itself a “Second Amendment sanctuary” and said it will not enforce the red flag law unless a crime was involved.

We don’t yet know how the shooter got his weapons.

Northeastern State University releases statement lamenting ‘tragic murder’ of former student Daniel Aston, who was killed in Club Q shooting

Monday 21 November 2022 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

Northeastern State University released a statement lamenting the “tragic murder” of former student Daniel Aston, 28, who was among the five killed in a mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs on Saturday.

The university’s statement said it was “deeply saddened” by the news.

Dan P. Mabery, the vice president for university relations, said Mr Aston was an active member in the Oklahoma university’s LGBT student community and organisations.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib points out ‘rhetoric has consequences,’ highlighting bills pushed to ‘demonize’ LGBT people

Monday 21 November 2022 21:40 , Graig Graziosi

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib took to Twitter on Monday to point out that more than 300 bills that “demonize” LGBT people have been introduced by conservatives, and of those 22 has pased.

“State legislators nationwide have introduced 344 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this year alone, & 25 of them have passed. These bills demonize LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender youth, preventing them from accessing medical care or playing sports with friends. Rhetoric has consequences,” she wrote.

Police did not pursue charges against suspected Club Q shooter after 2021 bomb threat

Monday 21 November 2022 21:20 , Graig Graziosi

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that police in the city did not pursue charges against Anderson Lee Aldrich, whose name and age match that of the man police believe shot and killed five people and injured 18 others in a mass shooting at Club Q in the city.

Mr Aldrich was arrested and charged with two counts of felony menacing and three counts of first-degree kidnapping after a 2021 standoff with police that resulted from him allegedly making a bomb threat. Prosecutors never followed up on those charges, according to the paper.

The suspect in the Club Q shooting is currently hospitalised and has reportedly not been speaking to investigators.

What we know about the shooting suspect

Monday 21 November 2022 21:20 , Graig Graziosi

A suspect has been taken into custody after five people were killed and 25 others injured during a mass shooting inside a LGBT+ nightclub in Colorado Springs on 19 November.

Police officers responded to the scene shortly after midnight after 911 dispatchers received “numerous” calls that there was an active shooter inside the club.

On Sunday morning, Colorado Springs Police identified the suspected shooter as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich.

He was hospitalised with undisclosed injuries.

Here’s what we know so far:

Anderson Lee Aldrich: What we know about Colorado Springs shooting suspect