0
0
The city and much of the state, the site of several recent mass shootings, grieved Monday for those who died and for the tragic shadow now cast over a cultural landmark, where many gay men and lesbians found comfort in a city once-known as staunchly opposed to LGBTQ rights.
A makeshift altar near the club expanded overnight, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) ordered flags flown at half-staff to memorialize the dead. Four years ago Polis was elected the country’s first openly gay governor. He was born and raised in Boulder, Colo., where in March 2021 a shooter opened fire inside a King Soopers grocery store, killing 10 people.
The investigation is in its earliest stages and appears to be focused on how the gunman obtained the assault rifle and why he opened fire.
In filing five counts of murder and five counts of committing a bias-motivated crime that caused bodily harm as preliminary charges against Aldrich, Colorado officials requested that the evidence supporting the charges be sealed, arguing successfully that releasing details would jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
So far this year there have been more than 600 mass shootings — defined as a shooting when four or more people die or are injured in a single incident — in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Asked about the shooting Tuesday while on a trip to the Philippines, Vice President Harris said it was “just tragic” that mass shootings keep happening, particularly in places “where people should have an expectation and a right to be in a safe place and to be able to be themselves and enjoy each other’s company.”
The victims spanned the spectrum of American life, both patrons and employees, a testament to the club’s appeal and the seemingly random nature of the shooter’s rampage.
A 40-year-old transgender woman visiting from Memphis was shot dead, as was a 40-year-old man who worked at a cosmetics company and was attending the club with his girlfriend. Witnesses said one of the club’s bartenders also died of gunshot wounds.
The shooting spree ended when Richard Fierro, a U.S. Army veteran, tackled Aldrich to the ground. Fierro was at the club celebrating a friend’s birthday with his family, watching a drag show that starred his 22-year-old daughter’s best friend.
Meryl Kornfield contributed to this report.
