At least five people were killed and 18 injured late on Saturday in a shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, police said early Sunday morning.

A police spokesperson said that the investigation was only beginning, and that the number of victims was subject to change. The injured were taken to several local hospitals, she said.

The police received an initial call about a shooting at the nightclub at 11.57pm, said Lt. Pamela Castro, the Colorado Springs Police Department spokesperson. Officers entered the club and took into custody a person whom they believed to be the gunman. The suspect was also injured and was being treated at a hospital, Lieutenant Castro said.

The city’s police chief, Adrian Vasquez, said in a news conference that the gunman had used a long rifle. Two guns were recovered at the club, the chief said. He identified the suspect as Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, and said that officials were investigating a motive.

The FBI said it was also involved in the investigation, and several Colorado lawmakers condemned the shooting. Gov. Jared Polis indicated in a statement that “brave individuals” at the nightclub had “blocked the gunman”, although the authorities have not yet released details.

In a statement on its Facebook page, Club Q said it was “devastated by the senseless attack on our community”. The club added: “We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”

Club Q had scheduled a musical drag brunch for Sunday morning. On Sunday evening, it was planning to celebrate Transgender Day of Remembrance “with a variety of gender identities and performance styles” at an 8 pm show.

The attack late Saturday brought terror to a place that was, for many visitors, a refuge, a place to escape the hate, discrimination and violence often endured by LGBTQ people outside its doors. Gay bars have long been havens for those exploring their identity, or simply seeking a space to be themselves without fear of not being accepted.

One online review called Club Q a “fun, inclusive place to hang out”. A visitor wrote that “everyone is so freaking kind”, while another said they were “glad to see a good queer space in Colorado Springs”.

On Saturday, the night of the shooting, a punk and alternative show was scheduled for 9pm A DJ was scheduled to go on for a dance party starting at 11pm.

New York Times News Service