After the shooting, Focus on the Familys president, Jim Daly, said that like the rest of the community he was mourning the tragedy. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Group claiming responsibily for graffiti points to Focus on the Familys legacy of hateful theology, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Related video: Police identify Colorado Springs shooting victims by how they identified themselves. Newcomers began lobbying for policies like getting rid of school Halloween celebrations due to suspicions about the holidays pagan origins. Published The hearing is scheduled to continue through Friday, when a judge will rule if there is enough evidence to take the case which includes more than 300 charges to trial. Its a place full of art shops and breweries; megachurches and military bases; a liberal arts college and the Air Force Academy. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Willis Scott is an evening anchor for KRDO. In the early 20th century, newcomers sought to establish a resort town in the shadow of Pikes Peak. But last weekends shooting has raised uneasy questions about the lasting legacy of cultural conflicts that caught fire decades ago and gave Colorado Springs a reputation as a cauldron of religion-infused conservatism, where LGBTQ people didnt fit in with the most vocal community leaders idea of family values. The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday nights senseless attack are in our prayers. Richard Fierro speaks during a news conference outside his Colorado Springs home on Monday, November 21. The Club Q shooting suspect identifies as nonbinary. apprehended by club patrons Richard Fierro and Thomas James, comes from a conservative Republican family, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Union reps said the establishment of an unarmed response protocol will help with the Police Departments chronic understaffing and allow police to focus on A general view of Club Q as police respond to the shooting. Americans are once again reeling in the face of unspeakable tragedy, after a mass shooting at a Colorado Springs gay bar left five dead and at least 25 injured. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. Stephanie Vigil was just elected to represent Colorado Springs in the state legislature. Focus on the Family headquarters sign vandalized in wake of Club Q shooting. Some called the city an epicenter of organized homophobia. Among these, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a leftist organization notorious for demonizing conservative Christians who oppose the LGBT agenda, named Focus in an article tying anti-LGBTQ hate to the shooting. Police said there was no information about who might have vandalized the sign, according to The Gazette. A sign on the property of the Colorado-based evangelical organisation Focus on the Family was vandalised with graffiti reading blood is on your hands and fives lives taken, an apparent reference to a mass shooting inside a Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub that left five dead and injured 18 others. But police making the effort to get it right, particularly now, when anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is rampant, is meaningful. Joines also said that the suspect sent a photo of a rifle scope over a Pride parade to someone else over Discord. The organization's website has numerous "resources" for sexuality. Florida Gov. The organization states on its website that it believes marriage is between a man and a woman, and in 2014 spoke out against adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to non-discrimination laws, citing concerns about conflicts with religious liberties. It is important to us that you understand why Focus on the Family must be held accountable for the ramifications of their hateful theology, the statement adds, pointing to the organisations support for legislation targeting transgender people, its falsified research and support for so-called conversation therapy. The SPLC used that radical Islamic terrorist attack to demonize conservative Christians. Their blood is on your hands and five lives taken were spray-painted onto the signfollowing Saturday nights mass shooting in Colorado Springs at Club Q. (Icons, a downtown bar with singing staff, opened a year later in 2021.). At a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Instead, the SPLC illustrated how some on the Left smear political opponents, even when they have nothing to do with the crime at issue. In 2018, after three Black trans women were fatally shot in three separate instances in Jacksonville, Florida, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office repeatedly refused to refer to the victims by their correct names and pronouns, ProPublica reported. Heres why its harmful to misgender LGBTQ victims of crime, and why its important that Colorado Springs police took steps to honor LGBTQ advocates wishes and treat the Club Q victims with sensitivity and respect. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. The man suspected of fatally shooting five people and injuring more than a dozen others at an LGBTQ nightclub is facing murder Below you will find contact information and answers to a candidate questionnaire from The Gazette. It's an apparent reference to the mass shooting at the gay nightclub, Club Q, where five people died Saturday night. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office told ProPublica it was following its policy at the time, identifying victims based on medical examiner reports and the victims state ID. David Zalubowski / AP. Join the millions of people who benefit from The Daily Signals fair, accurate, trustworthy reporting with direct access to: Dont have time to read the Washington Post or New York Times? / Five lives taken, reads the graffiti on the brick Focus on the Family sign, which outside its facility off Briargate Parkway in north Colorado Springs. The suspect was apprehended by club patrons Richard Fierro and Thomas James as well as an unnamed trans woman, and later arrested by police. Shortly after the message was discovered, a Gazette photographer found the sign covered in a plastic sheet. Did you encounter any technical issues? Colorado Springs voted 3 to 1 in favor of Amendment 2, helping make its narrow statewide victory possible. Read the full story on the Denver Channels website. Feb. 28A year after announcing grand plans for a new transit center, project consultants and Colorado Springs city staff Focus on the Family is known for its public stance against same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ issues. The influx of evangelical groups decades ago was at least in part spurred by efforts from the citys economic development arm to offer financial incentives to lure nonprofits. The names of the Club Q shooting victims are displayed as mourners hold a candlelight vigil outside the State Capitol building on November 23, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. The incident comes as Colorado Springs continues to grieve the senseless loss of life at Club Q nearly one week ago. Donate now. WebPosted 6:25:16 PM. Woman shot near CU Boulder overnight, suspect is at large, This is unprecedented": Avian flu has killed 12,000 birds in Colorado, Skygazers will have a great view Wednesday of two planets that look like they are almost touching, Letters: Proposed age limit for gun ownership in Colorado doesn't make sense, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. When the spray-painted message was shared on Twitter, several users supported the vandalism. But in the face of anti-LGBTQ discrimination and hostility, many Colorado Springs residents established LGBTQ funds and advocacy groups, Colorado Springs Indy columnist Brandon Flanery wrote in 2020. A security guard in the lobby prevented the attack, and although the SPLC condemned the assault, it has kept the Family Research Council on its hate map ever since. The Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family is a $100 million-a-year-operation dedicated to family and moral values. Joines also testified that the suspect had used anti-gay slurs in the past, calling their apartment property manager a "faggot" after they had an argument over the suspect not getting their mail. Jessy Smith Cruz embraces Jadzia Dax McClendon in Colorado Springs on Sunday. It was a safe space for the LGBTQ community of Colorado Springs, Club Q was Colorado Springs only remaining gay bar at the time of Flanerys piece. Their blood is on your hands, vandals spray-painted at the Colorado Springs headquarters of Focus on the Family. For others, the shocking act of violence in a space considered an LGBTQ refuge shattered a sense of optimism pervading everywhere from the citys revitalized downtown to the sprawling subdivisions on its outskirts. Other local enforcement officials, including the El Paso County Sheriffs Office which has taken over custody of the suspect continued to refer to the suspect using he/him pronouns after the filing stating their gender identity. Leia-jhene Seals hugs R.J. Lewis during the vigil at the All Souls Unitarian Church. Vandals spray-painted the Focus on the Family building in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The suspect accused of killing five people in Springs police say they do not have any suspects in the vandalism. Anderson Lee Aldrich in court documents, many on the Left blamed conservatives and Christians for the attack, and vandals targeted one prominent conservative Christian group in the city. We must condemn in the strongest terms possible the taking of innocent life., After the vandalism, Daly said the shootings aftermath should be a time of prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate., The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday nights senseless attack are in our prayers, Daly added in a public statement. Candidate name: Tom Strand. Herod and others who have been around long enough are remembering this week how in the 1990s, at the height of the religious rights influence, the Colorado Springs-based group Colorado for Family Values spearheaded a statewide push to pass Amendment 2 and make it illegal for communities to pass ordinances protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. Survivors and victims' family members were in court on Wednesday. Denver Broncos staff members and fans observe a moment of silence Sunday for the shooting victims. The people who lost their lives that night include: CLICK HERE to donate to a verified fundraiser page to help all the victims impacted. Joines said that detectives found a cellphone taped to a hat inside the suspect's car, leading detectives to believe they had considered livestreaming that night. Focus on the Family is an evangelical organization founded in California in 1977. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. "Their blood is on your hands five lives taken," the message read. WATCH: Why far-right groups are increasingly targeting the LGBTQ community. After the shooting, Focus on the Family's president, Jim Daly, said that like the rest of the community he was mourning the tragedy. Residents take pride in describing Colorado Springs as a place defined by reinvention. Campaign phone number: 719-210-1607. We have to deal with this psychologically, physically. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Focus on the Family is the target of graffiti referencing the Club Q shooting. Seals hugs Carter Rodriguez outside the All Souls Unitarian Church. Colorado Springs native Ashlyn May, who grew up in a Christian church but left when it didnt accept her queer identity, said one woman from the group in the tent asked if she could pray for her and a friend who accompanied her to the memorial. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics Copyright 2022 KKTV. Last year, SPLC Chief of Staff Lecia Brooks insisted that the Southern Poverty Law Center is not anti-Christian at all. If so, the least it could do is condemn the vandalism directed at Focus on the Family. It comes as a shocked Colorado Springs grieves the loss of five people Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump and Ashley Paugh after a person armed with an AR-style rifle fired into Club Q just before midnight on 19 November. Opinion: Colorado farms going fallow? We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministrys property., A Twitter account called colorado peoples press, which has thousands of followers, on Thanksgiving evening posted photos of the graffiti and a letter signed by members of the Front Range queer community., Focus on the family vandalized in response to the club q murders in Colorado Springs THEIR BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDSFIVE LIVES TAKEN, A press release and report back from those who completed this direct action: pic.twitter.com/LszpJrTmzX, colorado peoples press (@colpeoplespress) November 25, 2022, Before proceeding we feel it is our responsibility to acknowledge that we acted without consent from the families of these people, the anonymous letter stated. WebColorado Springs nightclub shooting. Contests & Promotions, 2023, Pikes Peak Television, Inc. Colorado Springs, CO, USA, Accidente de trenes en Grecia deja al menos 36 muertos y decenas de heridos, New housing opens for 59 homeless veterans on VA land in Los Angeles 6 years after 1,200 units were promised, He shot me! fatally wounded 9-year-old in Orlando shooting cried as she ran to mother, affidavit says. (Photo: Focus on the Family), Tyler O'Neil Refusing to acknowledge someones humanity in death adds insult to injury, according to GLAAD, compounding the tragedy by invalidating the persons lived reality.. Regardless of motive, I condemn the demonic violence ruling inside the heart of the shooter in the Colorado Springs nightclub, Klingenschmitt wrote on Facebook on Nov. 20. / It feels like the city is kind of at this tipping point, said Candace Woods, a queer minister and chaplain who has called Colorado Springs home for 18 years. Left: When you pump that demoralizing rhetoric into the atmosphere, when you supercharge the political environment to make it as hostile as possible toward LGBTQ people, someone has to pay the price, he told CNNs Jim Acosta on Sunday. "Not bad enough," another tweeted about the vandalism. Aldrich, who according to his attorneys identifies as non-binary, comes from a conservative Republican family. Two friends, Derrick Rump and Daniel Aston, helped him land the job at Club Q and find his queer family in his new hometown. Though it was later ruled unconstitutional, the campaign cemented the citys reputation, drawing more like-minded groups and galvanizing progressive activists in response. Colorado Springs, a city of about 480,000 located 70 miles south of Denver, is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, as well as Focus on the Family, a prominent evangelical Christian ministry. Police, media and public officials have a responsibility to lead with respect, said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign senior vice president for programs, research and training, in a statement to CNN. Daily Briefing A statement from a group claiming responsibility for the vandalism, shared by a Twitter account called colorado peoples press, said we chose to proceed with this action because of the incredible violence that Focus on the Family continues to perpetuate against the LGBT+ community. Dozens of people were inside Club Q that night for a drag show; when the shooting broke out, Richard Fierro and Thomas James, two club patrons, confronted the suspect and beat them, which authorities have said prevented even more people from being killed. Focus on the Family spokesperson Katie Anderson confirmed the sign was vandalized, but wouldnt comment on when the incident occurred. In his first court appearance by video Wednesday, suspect Anderson Lee Aldritch still wore many of the cuts and bruises police say he received when Richard Fierro and Thomas James stopped him that night. It is no accident that this happened in Colorado Springs, a city steeped in homophobia, transphobia, and white supremacy, the statement continues. A person pauses to pay respects at a makeshift memorial in November 2022, near Club Q. These are the victims of the Colorado club shooting. She said she found community at Club Q when she would come back from college, but that sense of belonging didnt allow her to forget that people and groups with a history of anti-LGBTQ stances and rhetoric maintained influence in city politics. It is unclear if anyone has died as a result of the shooting or if there are more victims involved. Bouquets of flowers and a sign reading "love over hate" are left near Club Q on Sunday. 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