Five people have been killed after a shooting at a gay club in Colorado Springs.
A gunman opened fire at Club Q on Saturday night, the Mirror reports. As well as the five fatalities, at least 18 people are believed to have been injured.
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. Footage shared on Twitter showed a huge emergency services response outside the club, with police and paramedics scrambled to the scene.
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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 attack came on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is observed annually on November 20 to memorialise anyone murdered as a result of transphobia.
A bartender at the club, who goes by Michael Anderson on social media, told the Mirror of his horror after the shooting. 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 said: 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."
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