The 22-year-old suspect in a mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub has been charged with five counts of murder and five hate crime counts, The Associated Press reported on Monday.
Five people were killed and at least 25 others were injured at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, late Saturday night.
Two patrons are being credited with saving countless lives.
The mayor said the gunman was confronted and one of the individuals was able to take the suspect's handgun away from him. He then reportedly started hitting the suspect with the gun.
"It's an incredible act of heroism," Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said in an interview on NBC's Today show.
The encounter happened within minutes of the gunman going inside the nightclub.
Authorities said they got their first emergency call about the incident at 11:57 p.m. The patrons managed to subdue the human before an officer arrived minutes later, Suthers said.
“We owe them a great debt,” Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said.
Five people were killed and at least 25 others were injured in the shooting, authorities said. At least seven of the injured were reportedly listed in critical condition.
Vasquez said they recovered two firearms at the club.
“I can confirm the suspect used a long rifle during this shooting,” Vasquez said.
In a statement released after the shooting, Club Q said it was devastated by the "senseless attack."
"We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack," the club posted on Facebook.
Club Q was featuring a drag show Saturday night. It's unclear whether any of the performers were targeted.
Suthers reiterated that the club has not been a problem in the past and is known as a safe space for the LGBTQ community.
"Police indicate that this club has been operating for over 21 years. During that time, it's been extremely well managed. Very, very few calls for service," Suthers said.
