People at a gay club in the US state of Colorado have been hailed as heroes for subduing a gunman and preventing a deadly shooting from getting worse.
During the shooting at Club Q on Saturday night, a patron grabbed the gunman’s own gun and shot him, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said.
Another clubgoer reportedly helped hold the gunman down until police arrived.
The gunman killed five people and wounded 25 before being captured.
The suspect, identified by police as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, is now in police custody.
Mayor Suthers called the intervention by several clubgoers “an incredible act of bravery”.
“The call to the police came in at 11:57 p.m. The police were on the scene at 12:00 a.m. — an incredibly quick response,” he told JEE News.
“The incident was over by 12:02, and that was largely due to the intervention of at least one, possibly two, very brave individuals who subdued the man… He appeared to have Have carried a handgun… and used it. Disable it… don’t shoot but shoot and disable it.
“But for him, as tragic as this incident is, as horrific a crime as it is, it could have been much, much worse for these brave actors,” the mayor added.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who is gay, praised the “brave individuals who stopped the gunman, possibly saving lives in the process”.
Matthew Haynes, one of the club’s owners, told that “dozens and dozens of lives” have been saved.
Police Chief Adrian Vasquez made similar comments in an earlier news conference.
“Preliminary evidence and interviews indicate that the suspect entered Club Q and began shooting at those inside as he proceeded further into the club.
“While the suspect was inside the club, at least two brave people inside the club confronted and fought the suspect and were able to stop the suspect from hitting and harming others.
“We owe them a huge debt of gratitude,” Mr Vasquez said.
