It has come to light that a parent and a drag performer were able to subdue a shooter who opened fire at an LGBT bar in the US state of Colorado.
On Saturday evening at Club Q in Colorado Springs, the assailant killed five individuals and injured seventeen others.
Officials identified Richard Fierro and Thomas James as the “heroes” who stopped the attack but did not specify their actions.
Mr. Fierro recounted the events, stating that he tackled the suspect, took his weapon, and struck him with it.
It is unclear whether Mr. James is the drag performer who, according to Mr. Fierro, then offered assistance.
Police identified the victims during a Monday afternoon press conference as Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, and Raymond Vance. According to family relatives, both Aston and Rump worked as bartenders at Club Q.
The suspect, identified by authorities as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, is currently in hospital police custody.
The gunman was stopped by a 15-year veteran of the United States Army who was attending a drag show with his wife and daughter.
Richard Fierro told reporters on Monday evening that his combat experience came in when he jumped on the gunman and dragged him to the ground by his body armor.
“I just sprinted there. Got him. I’m thinking, ‘I must murder this individual. He’s going to kill my kid. He will murder my wife’ “said the soldier from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr. Fierro stated from the front yard of his suburban Colorado Springs residence, “It’s a reflex.” “Go. Visit the fire. halt the action Arrête l’activité. Don’t let no one gets injured.”
The proprietor of a local brewery stated that he and his family dove to the floor when the gunfire began.
He recalled seeing the shooter proceed onto a patio where other clubgoers had fled before assaulting him.
According to him, the man dropped his weapon as he collapsed. They commenced grappling on the ground. Mr. Fierro stated that he seized the assailant’s pistol and used it to beat him.
“I persisted in striking him. I am a large guy, but this guy was even bigger “Mr. Fierro claimed.
He told reporters that he instructed a drag performer to deliver a head kick to the attacker.
“As one of the performers walked by, I instructed her to kick him,” he explained. She then shoved her stiletto heel into his face.
Mr. Fierro stated that among the deceased was the 22-year-old boyfriend of his daughter, Raymond Vance.
Mayor of Colorado Springs John Suthers praised the spectators’ “extraordinary act of heroism.”
He stated that he had spoken with Mr. Fierro on Monday, telling reporters, “I have never met a hero who was so modest about their heroic efforts.”
The governor of Colorado and the owner of the club also praised the “heroes,” stating that they likely saved lives.
Police are investigating the alleged owner of the rifle used in the shooting, as well as the owner of the handgun the suspect was carrying at the time of his arrest.
The investigation will assess if the shooting, which occurred on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, was motivated by bias and if the suspect acted alone.
US media report that the defendant is charged with five counts of murder and five counts of bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury. Tuesday, investigators reported that no official charges had been filed.
The core of the LGBT community in Colorado Springs, a city 70 miles (110km) south of Denver, is regarded as Club Q.
A bomb threat allegedly brought the suspect to the attention of law enforcement in 2021.
According to a police record at the time, his mother contacted 911 to tell him that he threatened to hurt her with a homemade bomb, various guns, and ammo.
President Biden stated that Americans cannot and must not tolerate hatred.
In 2016, 49 people were killed in a shooting at the Orlando, Florida gay club Pulse. It was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history at the time.
