President Joe Biden is once again calling for a ban on assault weapons following another mass shooting that occurred in a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs.
“Places that are supposed to be safe spaces of acceptance and celebration should never be turned into places of terror and violence. Yet it happens far too often. We must drive out the inequities that contribute to violence against LGBTQI+ people. We cannot and must not tolerate hate,” Biden said.
“Today, yet another community in America has been torn apart by gun violence,” he continued. “More families left with an empty chair at the table and hole in their lives that cannot be filled. When will we decide we’ve had enough?
“We must address the public health epidemic of gun violence in all of its forms. Earlier this year, I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly three decades, in addition to taking other historic actions. But we must do more. We need to enact an assault weapons ban to get weapons of war off America’s streets.”
This comes after 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich opened fire at Club Q on Saturday, leaving five people dead and at least 25 others injured.
Aldrich was believed to have immediately begun shooting people when he entered the nightclub. One man who was in the club told reporters that he heard four or five muffled shots that he at first mistook for being part of the music.
Two “heroic” patrons later confronted and fought the gunman. Mayor John Suthers said in a statement on Sunday that “one or more patrons heroically intervened to subdue the suspect, and we praise those individuals who did so because their actions saved lives.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is the first openly gay man elected governor in U.S. history, called the attack “horrific, sickening, and devastating” in a statement.
“My heart breaks for the family and friends of those lost, injured, and traumatized in this horrific shooting,” Polis said. “Colorado stands with our LGTBQ community and everyone impacted by this tragedy as we mourn together.
Club Q, which is located roughly 7 miles away from downtown Colorado Springs, is a gay and lesbian nightclub that features a “Drag Diva Drag Show” on Saturdays.
“Club Q is devastated by the senseless attack on our community,” the club posted on its Facebook page. “Our (prayers) 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.”
