Two days shy of the second anniversary of the deadly shooting at Club Q, a prominent LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, victims and the families of those killed have filed lawsuits accusing the club of inadequate security measures and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office of failing to use Colorado’s red-flag law, which could have prevented the shooter from carrying out the attack.
The shooting, which took place on November 19, 2022, left five people dead and dozens more injured. The lawsuits, filed on Sunday, claim that both Club Q and local authorities could have taken steps to prevent the massacre.
The suits accuse the nightclub of negligence, alleging that it marketed itself as a “safe place” for LGBTQIA+ individuals, but failed to provide adequate security in the years leading up to the attack.
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A key focus of the legal action is the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office’s refusal to enforce the state’s red-flag law, which allows law enforcement to temporarily seize firearms from individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others.
Despite clear warning signs, including an arrest in 2021 in which the shooter, identified as Anderson Aldrich, threatened to kill their grandparents and spoke of becoming a “mass killer,” authorities did not take action to disarm the suspect or prevent the purchase of more weapons.
The plaintiffs argue that the shooter’s violent tendencies were well-known to authorities, but a lack of intervention allowed them continued access to firearms, directly contributing to the tragedy at Club Q.
In 2021, Aldrich had been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and threatening to kill their grandparents, during which they also amassed an arsenal of weapons and bomb-making materials.
The plaintiffs contend that had the red-flag law been used, the shooter’s weapons could have been confiscated and the attack avoided.
Lawsuits Highlight Club Q’s Security Failures
Another significant aspect of the lawsuits is the claim that Club Q’s security measures were woefully inadequate.
Survivors and families of the victims allege that the club, which had once employed five or more security personnel, reduced its security detail to just one person in the years before the shooting.
This decision, they argue, prioritized profit over the safety of patrons, making the club an easier target for the gunman.
The Aftermath: A Community in Pain
The attack, which was later determined to be a hate crime, devastated the local LGBTQ+ community.
Those killed in the shooting included Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, and Ashley Paugh.
Anderson Aldrich, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, was arrested at the scene.
The shooter was sentenced to life in prison in 2023 after pleading guilty to five counts of murder and 46 counts of attempted murder.
A year later, Aldrich was also sentenced to an additional 55 life terms in federal court after pleading guilty to hate crimes related to the attack.
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Legal Action: Seeking Accountability
The survivors, including Barrett Hudson, who still has three bullets lodged in his body from that night, and the families of those killed, are seeking accountability through the lawsuits.
They argue that if both Club Q and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office had taken the necessary precautions, the shooting might have been prevented.
The plaintiffs are demanding answers and holding the defendants responsible for the pain, suffering, and loss caused by the attack.
A press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, the second anniversary of the shooting, where the victims and families will speak out about their legal action and the ongoing fight for justice.
