Club Q to change location, name after tragic mass shooting
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on October 24, 2023
(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) — The management team of Club Q, the site of a deadly mass shooting in November 2022, has decided to alter its plans for reopening of the LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The club was shut down in the aftermath of the shooting that killed five people and left dozens injured.
Club Q owner Michael Haynes previously told ABC News that the club’s owners initially planned to restructure the inside of the bar, implement new security precautions, and build a memorial to honor the lives lost, as well as the lives affected.
However, after months of hearing perspectives from survivors and families of the victims, management has announced that it will not reopen Club Q in its old location and also will change its name.
It will open as The Q, located inside the Satellite Hotel, several miles away from its original location. The new location will be managed and operated by survivors of the shooting, according to the press release, and is offering former employees the opportunity to return to The Q.
“Both locally and nationally, Club Q’s reopening sends a strong message that hate will not win, love will always prevail,” said Club Q management in a Monday evening press release.
Several survivors who previously spoke to ABC News said it would be a traumatic experience to step foot back in the old building where the shooting happened.
The old Club Q location will instead become home to the permanent memorial and tribute dedicated to the lives lost nearly one year ago in the shooting.
According to Club Q, the memorial will include five 12-foot pillars to represent each victim with their names etched into their respective pillars: Daniel Davis Aston, Kelly Loving, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh, Raymond Green Vance.
It is also planned to include a 40-foot flagpole, featuring the Progress Pride Flag, with a spotlight that shines up toward the sky.
There also will be 17 boulders at the landmark to represent those injured by gunfire that night, as well as colorful mosaics throughout the property to represent those impacted by the tragedy.
A security wall is planned to be placed around the tribute and in front of the Club to provide protection and privacy for visitors of the memorial, according to an update on the Club Q website.
“We hope this new space can provide community healing,” club managers said in their statement. “We fully recognize that Club Q and this community has never been a building or location. It’s composed of tens of thousands of people of all walks of life coming together to celebrate love and acceptance.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
