USA: Shooting at gay club kills five, injures 18 (+ video)

A gunman opened fire at a gay club in Colorado early Sunday morning, killing five people and wounding 18 others. It was the country’s deadliest shooting in a year that has seen homophobic rhetoric rise in extremist circles.

Colorado Springs Police Lt. Pamela Castro said police received a report of a shooting at Club Q at 11:57 p.m.

Castro added that the injured suspect was receiving medical treatment there. It was unclear whether the attacker was initially shot by police. He added that the FBI arrived at the scene and assisted in the investigation.

The local police tweeted that they will hold a press conference later.

Club Q is a venue targeting the Lgtbq community that organizes a show called “Drag Diva Drag Show” on its website on Saturdays.

“Club Q is shocked by this senseless attack on our community,” the establishment wrote on its Facebook page.

The statement said their prayers are with the victims and their families. “We appreciate the quick reactions of the heroic customers who brought down the shooter and put an end to this despicable attack,” he added.

A motive for the attack was not immediately clear, but the incident was reminiscent of the 2016 massacre at the Pulse club in Orlando, Florida, where 49 people were killed.

The shooting happened in a state that has experienced several known mass shootings, including one at Columbine High School, another at a suburban Denver theater in 2012 and one at a Boulder supermarket last year.

On June 31, members of the neo-Nazi group Patriot Front were arrested in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and charged with conspiracy to riot at a Pride rally.

Extremist groups may see homophobic rhetoric as a call to action, experts warn.

Earlier this month, a fundamentalist pastor from Idaho told his small congregation in Boise that gays and transgender people should be executed by the government, echoing sermons by another fundamentalist pastor in Texas.

Shooting at the Q, a gay venue in Colorado, USA: 5 dead, 18 injured. The teacher is still inside. pic.twitter.com/0MJV5ypDQN

— Otto More 🎙️ (@Otto_Mas) November 20, 2022

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