Community gathers to remember Club Q victims with candlelight vigil
SEATTLE - Tonight members of the community gathered for a candlelight vigil honoring the victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs.
The mass shooting left five people dead—Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Derrick Rump were killed a week ago, and 19 more hurt, when a 22-year-old walked into the club carrying an AR-15-style rifle and handgun and opened fire.
The vigil was organized by PrideFest along with a dozen other organizations in remembrance of the attack happening last week.
Joshua Daily was among those gathered.
"It’s anger, it’s sadness, it’s frustration," Daily said.
The LGBTQ community is hurt by the tragic loss of life.
The victims names echoed through the Aids Memorial Pathway Plaza, a place of remembrance, growth and strength for the LBGTQ community.
"It's sad that we have to experience another tragic incident like this," said Neil Lequia, who attended the vigil with his partner Paul Sweeny.
Through their pain and grief, community members shared poems, stories and songs, embracing and clinging on to each other as they face what some say is a harsh reality.
"I'm a gay, I’m a target," Daily said.
He’s not the only one walking around with what he feels is like a target on his back.
"It’s really hard to feel comfortable knowing that our sanctuaries can be rattled like this," Lequia said.
"It's just devastating, we know it can happen to any of us," Sweeny said.
Some of them said their sense of safety is now shattered.
"I like going out in Capitol Hill, I went out last night and I keep an eye on the door, to see what goes through, and I don’t want to have to do that," Daily said.
"I’m grateful that I've been able to come home from bars," Lequia said.
The 34-year-old has worked at a clubs and bars and said he’s hurt after the attack at Club Q.
Lequia and Daily say some days they do live in fear, but they’re fighting to be the voice of change, lighting candles honoring the victims and standing in solidarity in their memory.
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PrideFest says the LBGTQ community is hurting yet strong as they continue to fight for equality and a better tomorrow pushing for representation.
PrideFest Executive Director Egan Orion said, "People that perpetrate these crimes, they don't represent us. They don't represent the love of our community or of our greater community. We're a loving accepting people, and we want people just to be able to exist and to thrive in their own communities, no matter who they are."