5 Victims of Club Q Shooting Remembered

Remembering the Ones Lost in the Club Q Mass Shooting

It's been six months since five people were killed when a gunman began shooting at Club Q, a gay club in Colorado Springs, Colo., on November 19, 2022.

The accused shooter is Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22. Aldrich's attorneys say the suspect is nonbinary.

Aldrich faces more than 300 charges related to the deaths of Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh, and Raymond Green Vance as well as the numerous people injured in the attack.

Prosecutors allege that Aldrich went to the club several times and even created a sketch of the venue. They seem to have even planned to live stream the attack, authorities say.

Shortly after the shooting, Club Q said in a statement that the club and its community are still in disbelief over the mass shooting that left two of its employees dead.

"Club Q is in shock, and in deep mourning, with the family and friends who had loved ones senselessly taken from them. We condemn the horrific violence that shattered an evening of celebration for all in the LGBTQ community of Colorado Springs and our allies. Club Q offers our greatest gratitude to those who moved immediately to stop the gunman and prevent more loss of life and injury. Club Q has always provided a space for LGBTQ people and our ally friends to celebrate together," the establishment said.

"We will always speak up for and support everyone's right to be themselves and be safe. We demand that those who spread disgusting rhetoric and encourage violence stop this behavior immediately before more people get hurt. We urge with everything in our heart for every person to do what they can to speak up for LGBTQ people and everyone's right to be safe."

Club Q is currently creating a tribute to those killed in the attack and those impacted.

Below is a bit more about the five people lost in the attack.

Related: Club Q Victims, Heroes Identified by Colorado Springs Police

Ashley Paugh: She/Her

Ashely Paugh was a mother.

In a statement her family said that her daughter Ryleigh "was her whole world," CNN reports.

"She loved her dad, her sister, and her family; Ashley was a loving aunt, with many nieces and nephews who are devastated by her loss," her family said.

Paugh worked for a local nonprofit called Kids Crossing which helps connect foster children to homes -- that included helping LGBTQ+ children find accepting foster placements.

"She would do anything for the kids -- traveling all over southeastern Colorado, from Pueblo and Colorado Springs to Fremont County and the Colorado border, working to raise awareness and encourage individuals and families to become foster parents to children in our community," the statement said.

Daniel Aston: He/Him

Twenty-eight-year-old Daniel Aston worked at Club Q as a bar supervisor.

He came out as transgender as a teenager, his mother, Sabrina Aston told The Denver Post.

"He had so much more life to give to us, and to all his friends and to himself," she said. "He always said, 'I'm shy,' but he wasn't. He wrote poetry. He loved to dress up. He got into drama in high school. He's an entertainer. That's what he really loves."

Derrick Rump: He/Him

Derrick Rump was a bartender at Club Q.

His sister, Julia Kissling, told local media that Rump had "found a community of people that he loved really much, and he felt that he could shine there -- and he did."

She added, "He made a difference in so many people's lives, and that's where he wanted to be."

Kelly Loving: She/Her

Kelly Loving was another patron gunned down in the shooting. She was visiting from Denver. Her sister, Tiffany Loving, was told of her death Sunday by the FBI.

"She was loving, always trying to help the next person out instead of thinking of herself. She just was a caring person," she told the New York Times. "I was really close with her."

Kelly Loving's friend Natalee Skye Bingham said she was devastated.

"She was a tough woman," Bingham said. "She taught me how it was to be a trans woman and live your life day to day."

Bingham said that she had just finished speaking with Loving before the shooting began. She said that Loving was like a trans mother to her.

Raymond Green Vance: He/Him

Raymond Green Vance, 22, died while visiting Club Q with his girlfriend, her parents, and some of her parents' friends, CNN reports. His girlfriend's father, Richard Fierro, was one of the patrons who took down the gunman.

Vance had started a new job and was excited about getting his first check. At the time of his death, he lived with his mother and brother.

"Unfortunately, he never left the club. Raymond was the victim of a man who unleashed terror on innocent people out with family and friends," Vance's family said. "His own family and friends are completely devastated by the sudden loss of a son, grandson, brother, nephew, and cousin loved by so many."

They added, "Raymond was a kind, selfless young adult with his entire life ahead of him. His closest friend describes him as gifted, one-of-a-kind, and willing to go out of his way to help anyone."