A huge police presence outside Club Q following the attack
(Picture: Twitter @Treyruffy via REUTERS)At least five people have died and 18 left injured following a shooting at a nightclub in Colorado, local police have said.
Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, has been arrested and remains in police custody following the attack at Club Q in Colorado Springs on Saturday night.
Customers at the venue are believed to have subdued the gunman during the shooting.
In a news conference, officers said the gunman used a “long rifle” and began shooting as soon as he entered the venue.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said: “At least two heroic people inside the club confronted and fought with the suspect and were able to stop the suspect from continuing to kill and harm others.
“We owe them a great debt of thanks.”
BREAKING: Five people have died and 18 are injured following a shooting at a nightclub in Colorado.https://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 20, 2022
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Police have declined to speak about a possible motive.
Club Q is a gay and lesbian nightclub that features a “Diva Drag Show” on Saturdays, according to its website.
In a statement, the nightclub said it was “devastated by the senseless attack on our community. We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”
'We're not at a point where we can label this investigation as a hate crime' says Colorado Springs police lieutenant Pamela Castro - adding they're still investigating how many people were in the nightclub at the time.https://t.co/Iv6M1R60Un
— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 20, 2022
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Images from the scene showed security and emergency vehicles with flashing blinkers parked on a street near the venue.
By 4am local time, police had taped off the area around the club, which is located in a strip mall on the outskirts of Colorado Springs.
