Five revellers were killed and another 18 injured after a gunman opened fire at a gay club in Colorado Springs.
Club Q - where the incident took place - advertises itself as an "Adult-oriented gay & lesbian nightclub hosting theme nights such as karaoke, drag shows & DJs".
The club issued a statement on Facebook calling the shooting a "hate attack" and said revellers attacked the gunman to prevent more shootings.
It said: "Club Q is devastated by the senseless attack on our community.
"Our prays and thoughts are with all the victims and their families and friends. We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack."
The active shooting was reported around 11.57pm local time as footage shared on Twitter showed a huge police and emergency response, with ambulances lining the streets outside the club.
Police are yet to reveal what firearm was used in the attack but initial reports suggested the suspect may have been picking off his victims with a sniper rifle.
Colorado Springs cops have confirmed that five people were killed in the Club Q shooting with another 18 injured - though the extent of the survivor's injuries have not yet been revealed.
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The attack comes on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is observed annually on November 20 to memorialise anyone murdered as a result of transphobia.
The club's bartender, who goes by Michael Anderson on social media, exclusively told The Mirror about the horrors he witnessed as the shooter rampaged through the club.
He said: "I was afraid I was going to die. I was preparing to get shot, when the shots then stopped. After a minute or two I wasn’t sure if it was over or not, so I got up and decided to make a run for it. I found a man lying on the floor being shot in the neck."
Gaby Lamah, 32, who has been visiting the club since she was 19, told The Mirror how she and her friends made a "last minute decision" not to visit the venue last night.
She said Club Q is one of a limited number of nightclubs catering for the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs.
She told The Mirror: "Club Q has always been a calm, loving energy".
When asked how she felt after hearing the news, Gaby said: "Angry. Heartbroken. I’m not sure I could back there and not be anxious the entire time.
"It feels like our world is going backwards instead of forwards."
The incident appears reminiscent of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 when a gunman stormed a gay nightclub in Florida and killed 50 people and injuring at least 53 others.
The 'lone' attacker, identified as Omar Mateen, 29, entered Orlando's Pulse club shortly before 2am local time (6am GMT), where hundreds of revellers were partying.
Armed with an assault rifle and a handgun, he then took terrified victims hostage before opening fire, showering the venue in a hail of bullets.
Among those killed were Edward Sotomayor Jr, Stanley Almodovar III, Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, Juan Ramon Guerrero, Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera and Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz.
And earlier this year, two people were killed an 20 injured when another gunman opened fire by a gay nightclub in Oslo city centre in an incident investigated as a possible terrorist attack.
Emergency services rushed to the "London Pub" in Oslo city centre in Norway after receiving reports of gunfire around 1.15am.
Terrified witnesses ran for shelter with as many as 20 shots fired in the street by the nightclub as one reveller described how she "played dead" as "total panic" broke out.
Police confirmed they are investigating the shooting as a "terrorist attack" as they arrested one man, who is known to police for violent offences of a less severe nature.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin, was detained minutes after, according to police who said they believed he acted alone.
He was charged with murder, attempted murder and terrorist acts and is believed to be a radicalised Islamist with a history of mental illness who had been known to intelligence services since 2015.
Two firearms have been recovered and there are three active crime scenes, as police told reporters they believe there was just one attacker, but they have not ruled out more.
