Colorado club shooting survivors: 'I want to be resilient' and 'The hope stayed there'

Mourners stand along the makeshift memorial to the victims of a weekend mass shooting at a nearby gay nightclub on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Anderson Lee Aldrich opened fire at Club Q, in which five people were killed and others suffered gunshot wounds before patrons tackled and beat the suspect into submission. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

A man who survived a weekend shooting at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs says he wants to be resilient and won’t be “taken out by some sick person.” Another survivor says the shooting left him feeling hopeful and surrounded by community support. They are among the 17 people injured by gunfire on Saturday after police say a 22-year-old man went on a shooting rampage at Club Q, a well-known gathering place for the LGBTQ community in Colorado Springs. The injured who have been speaking out from their hospital rooms have recounted the chaos of the shooting — as well as the aftermath when club patrons worked to help each other. Five people were killed in the attack.

One man who has frequented Club Q for decades was just opening up a tab at the bar when he was shot in the back. Another man was about to leave the club with his group when he heard a “pop, pop, pop” and took a bullet to his arm — then watched his boyfriend and sister fall to the floor.

They are among the 17 people wounded by gunfire Saturday when a 22-year-old man went on a shooting rampage at Club Q, a well-known club for the LGBTQ community in Colorado Springs. On Tuesday, they shared the horror of seeing their loved ones shot down in front of them, as well as the hope they felt as people helped each other amid the chaos.