“Moments that change us”: Local politicians react to the conviction of the Club Q shooter in federal court

Dara Korn and Ashley Eberhardt

58 mins ago

FILE – Kebrina Chirdon lights candles at a memorial outside Club Q on Nov. 25, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colo. After last November’s mass shooting at the Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ nightclub that turned a drag queen’s birthday party into a massacre, the conservative community has had to grapple with its reputation for being unfriendly to gay, lesbian and transgender people. (Parker Seibold/The Gazette via AP, File)

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Tuesday, June 18, a Colorado district court sentenced the Club Q shooter to 190 years in prison plus 55 life sentences after the gunman pleaded guilty in federal court to hate crime and weapons charges.

Colorado Springs local leaders responded Tuesday, expressing relief at the next step in the search for justice, but also expressing regret that this loss will be felt forever in this community.

Mayor Yemi Mobolade responded on social media, thanking judicial officials for taking steps to ensure justice is done.

The mayor expressed his heartfelt thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado for bringing justice to the victims of the Club Q shooting and their families, saying, “It is important that we take decisive action against hate. And that is exactly what happened in the courtroom today.”

Mayor Mobolade further said that while the community is still processing the unnecessary act of violence on November 19, 2022, Colorado Springs is a resilient community.

“I pray that with today’s verdict we take another step toward healing,” he said. “And may we always remember Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, Derrick Rump and Raymond Green Vance.”

The 4th District Attorney’s Office also responded, with harsh words from District Attorney Michael Allen, who had charged the shooter at the state level.

“There are moments that change us, and we know that if we move on, we will never be the same again,” said DA Allen. “The moment this shooter decided to carry out a premeditated, hate-filled attack and kill several innocent people in a place created to be a safe haven for members of the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs was one of those moments.”

While Allen praised the verdict and his contribution to justice, he believes that no amount of punishment for the shooter will ever heal the wound inflicted on the Colorado Springs community and the families of the victims.

“The federal sentence, which significantly extends the prison sentence the defendant is already serving in connection with the state case, is not enough,” Allen said. “The law cannot fully repair the loss our city and our community suffered on November 19, 2022. But we can stand against hate. Hate directed at marginalized communities will not be tolerated, and the combined sentences tell the world that. Together, we have held the shooter fully accountable under the law for the evil he brought to Club Q.”

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