One Colorado Remembers the Club Q Tragedy

On November 19, 2023, One Colorado made a statement remembering the lives lost in the harrowing Club Q shooting that happened one year ago.

On November 19, 2022, on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, a gunman entered Club Q and opened fire. Five people died, and 25 were injured. In July, the shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, received five life sentences for the five lives taken with no chance for parole.

The five victims were Ashley Paugh, who was 35 and loved her daughter and riding four-wheelers; Daniel Aston, who was 28 and worked as a bartender at Club Q but did the arts in his free time; Raymond Green Vance, 22, who was known for being sweet, gentle man; Derrick Rump, 38, who was also a bartender and memorialized as a down to earth, initially quiet man; and Kelly Loving, who had just celebrated her 40th birthday, and was known for being a sweetheart to even those who harmed her.

One Colorado’s Executive Director, Nadine Bridges, MSW, released a press statement expressing sorrow at the tragedy and offering condolences to the survivors and the families of the lost. Colorado Springs is often regarded as a very close-knit community, and the Club Q shooting shook that community to its core. Bridges continues to discuss the further repercussions of the tragedy, saying, “It is important to understand the undeniable truth that the Club Q shooting was not an isolated incident.

It is a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done to protect our community. We must come together to strengthen our collective identity. I cannot emphasize it enough; our community radiates love and joy. In the memory of those we’ve lost, we must show the world that violence will not keep us down and their hate will not stop LGBTQ+ spaces from being homes for our community to dance, laugh, and love.”