COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — Community members gathered Tuesday evening at Club Q to honor the lives lost at the mass shooting on Nov. 19, 2022.
Dozens gathered at Club Q for the candlelight vigil: Some loved ones, some families of the victims and many survivors. Michael Anderson led the vigil.
Anderson is a Club Q survivor and was working as a bartender the night of the shooting. He’s since been an advocate for gun reform and a voice for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Today is heavy. Just as heavy as last year, but not as heavy as the night this all happened,” Anderson said Tuesday.
Also in attendance was Astin Gamblin. She was working the door the night of the shooting and was shot nine times.
“There isn’t a warning that you get at the front door. It just happens and I remember thinking it was a snow thrower because it was white stuff flying and I then I had looked up and realized it was an actual shooting,” she said of the moments leading up to the gunfire.
She says the last two years have been more than difficult and hopes the community can continue to rally behind her and other survivors.
“Nobody knows what happened behind those doors and nobody fully understands what we are going through or the difficulties that we have,” Gamblin said.
Anderson has since opened a new bar, in honor of Club Q called “The Q.” Community members met there after the vigil to continue their honor of the lives lost and support one another. Anderson said changes in the community need to happen now.
“We have to do something about this problem in this country. We cannot continue to hold candlelight vigils every time an incident like this happens around this country. There is time and a place to do something and that was a long time ago,” Anderson said.
