Gunman Kills 5 In US Gay Nightclub
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – A 22-year-old gunman has opened fire in a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and injuring 18, authorities say.
The man, identified as Anderson Lee, was subdued by “heroic” patrons and detained by police who were on the scene in the U.S. city within minutes, according to authorities on Sunday.
Mayor John Suthers of Colorado Springs said that someone had acted quickly to grab a handgun from the gunman, then hit him with it as police rushed him to the scene.
Two firearms, including a “long rifle,” were found at Club Q after the Saturday night shooting, said Police Chief Adrian Vasquez.
The suspect reportedly used an AR-15-style semiautomatic weapon in the Saturday night shooting. A handgun and additional ammunition magazines also were recovered, officials said.
Investigators were still determining a motive and whether to prosecute it as a hate crime, added El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen. Charges against the suspect “will likely include first-degree murder,” he said.
Police said Anderson Lee was now in custody and being treated for injuries.
A man with that name was arrested in 2021 after his mother reported he threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons, authorities said. They declined to elaborate on that arrest.
No explosives were found, authorities explained at the time, and The Gazette in Colorado Springs publication reported that prosecutors did not pursue any charges and records were sealed.
This weekend’s attack was the latest mass shooting to hit a U.S. city amid mounting concerns about gun violence in the nation. On its Facebook page, the targeted gay club called it a “hate attack.”
