Two heroic bystanders fought a gunman as he opened fire inside a gay nightclub in Colorado at the weekend. Police have paid tribute to the two patrons for their brave actions, which saved countless lives.
The incident occurred on November 19 when the gunman, Anderson Aldrich, burst into Club Q and took aim at revellers with a "long rifle". The 22-year-old began shooting at nightclub patrons as soon as entered the premises, according to officials.
Police say two individuals bravely stood up among the chaos to fight back against Aldrich. The duo managed to stop the gunman from continuing to fire his weapon, reports the Mirror.
Describing the incident and the brave response of the two people, Adrian Vasquez of Colorado Springs Police Department said: "Initial evidence and interviews indicate that the suspect entered Club Q and immediately began shooting at people inside as he moved further into the club"
"While the suspect was inside of the club, 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."
Vasquez added the first officer arrived at the club just before midnight. The gunman was then taken into custody before being treated for injuries at a local hospital.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, with 11 ambulances and 34 firefighters in attendance. The incident declared a "mass casualty event" as five people died and a further 25 were injured.
Club Q released a statement saying they had been left "devastated by the senseless attack on our community". They also went on to hail the "quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack."
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