The gunman entered Club Q and began a deadly shootout before two patrons managed to get past the attacker.
Photo: Chet Strange/Getty Images
On November 19, Colorado Springs experienced one of the most tragic moments after an attack at Club Q that left five dead. and dozens more injured in Colorado.
Almost two months after the tragic moment, Matthew Haynes, who has co-owned the place for 20 years, says that after the shooting, he has been contemplating the importance of the bar in the community. and his role in helping the community continue to recover from the tragic event, and rebuilding the bar is part of that goal.
Club Q was a place where people met loved ones, where they made new friends, one of the few spaces in the city where members of the LGBTQ community could feel safe being themselves.
“The most important conclusion that this community has had, with which I agree, is that [el tirador] he won’t win,” Haynes said. “This man will not take away our space. This man will not destroy this community.”
Anderson Lee Aldrich is the prime suspect in that shooting and faces 305 charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder and hate crimes.
Haynes, along with the bar’s development and advisory team, said that they will revamp the interior of the bar, implement new safety precautions and build a memorial to honor lives lost, as well as the lives affected.
It’s unclear what a memorial would look like or how long it will take to rebuild, Haynes said. He said he expects a four-month redevelopment process, hoping for a reopening in May, but the way forward remains uncertain.
In recent meetings with city officials, including Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, Haynes said Suthers contacted Club Q staff with an architectural firm to plan a memorial and address damage done to the interior of the bar during the shooting, free of charge.
According to Haynes, the city has also assigned a supervisor to work on the technical processes needed to get the business back up and running.
“From every aspect, from the police department to the FBI, to anything below the city and certainly the state, at this point, we feel totally supported,” Haynes said.
Haynes said she not only wants to make amends, but alsoe wants to make aesthetic changes to the bar, so that it can be a welcoming and liberating environment for those who were present in the bar on that tragic night.
“In talking to the victims who were actually shot, [quieren] for him to change up a bit… it would help with some of the trauma,” Haynes said.
Since the tragedy, the owners and bar staff have also been tending to an ever-growing memorial outside Club Q, lush with flowers, cards and artwork.
They have kept many of the gifts left at the gates of Club Q, and Haynes said they hope to create a permanent memorial at the site to honor not only those who have been killed or injured, but also the “thousands who have been affected.” .
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