‘Heroic’ patrons of Colorado Springs club praised by police | First Thing

Five people killed after gunman opened fire at LGBTQ nightclub but police say death toll could have been higher

Don't already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here

Good morning.

Police have praised the individuals who tackled a gunman after he opened fire at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs for their incredible act of heroism" that stopped the tragedy that killed at least five people from being even worse.

Who was the gunman? Police allege that 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich went into Club Q at about 11.55pm on Saturday and immediately began shooting with a rifle.

Do we know anything about the victims yet? According to reports, bartenders Daniel Davis Aston and Derrick Rump were two of the victims.

Was the suspect motivated by hate against LGBTQ people? A motive has not officially been established yet. However, the attack took place at Club Q, a club that has a weekly drag show on Saturday evenings and had a drag brunch scheduled for Sunday morning, which was also the transgender day of remembrance. The attack came amid growing fears of violence and intimidation toward drag queens.

Why wasn't the deal stronger? Oil-producing countries had thwarted attempts to strengthen the deal, said Laurence Tubiana, one of the architects of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, now chief executive of the European Climate Foundation. The influence of the fossil fuel industry was found across the board," she said. She blamed the host country, Egypt, for allowing its regional alliances to sway the final decision, a claim hotly denied by the hosts.