Say their names.
This past weekend, just before midnight on Saturday night, a 22-year-old gunman opened fire at Club Q, a popular LGBTQ+ nightclub that caters to the queer community of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Though two heroes were able to stop the gunman's senseless, violent rampage, five lives were taken that night, and now is the time to pay tribute to them.
Scroll through to learn more about those who lost their lives in the Club Q tragedy. And if you're interested in helping out in any way you can, visit GoFundMe to learn more about funds that have been started to financially assist those affected.
RELATED | Here's What We Know About the Heroes Who Stopped the Gunman at Club Q
Photo: Getty Images
Ashley Paugh (She/Her)
"We're absolutely devastated by the loss of Ashley," Kurt Paugh, Ashley's husband, wrote in a public statement. "She meant everything to this family, and we can't even begin to understand what it will mean to not have her in our lives."
Kurt's statement continued:
"Ashley was a loving wife - she was my high school sweetheart - and she was just an amazing mother. Her daughter was her whole world, and she was so proud of Ryleigh, who is a championship swimmer. 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."
"She had a huge heart. I know that Ashley cared about so many people. She helped so many people through her work at Kids Crossing, a nonprofit that helps find loving homes for foster children. 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. This included working with the LGBTQ+ community to find welcoming foster placements for children. During the holidays, Ashley organized giving trees and delivered them to businesses so that foster kids could have brighter holidays - and in fact, she was setting up giving trees even this week, canvassing Pueblo and Colorado Springs."
Photo via Colorado Springs Police Department
Daniel Aston (He/Him)
"He was the best supervisor anybody could've asked for," bartender Michael Anderson told CNN in a statement about his co-worker Aston, 28, who was a bar supervisor at Club Q. "He made me want to come into work, and he made me want to be a part of the positive culture we were trying to create there."
He continued: "He was a light in my life, and it's surreal that we're even talking about him in the past tense like this."
Photo via Colorado Springs Police Department
Derrick Rump (He/Him)
"He found a community of people that he loved really much, and he felt that he could shine there, and he did," Julia Kissling said in a statement to WFMZ News about her late brother Derrick, who was a bartender at Club Q since November of 2018. "He made a difference in so many people's lives, and that's where he wanted to be."
Photo via Colorado Springs Police Department
Kelly Loving (She/Her)
"My condolences go out to all the families who lost someone in this tragic event, and to everyone struggling to be accepted in this world," Kelly Loving's sister Tiffany Loving said in a public statement published by the Colorado Springs Police Department. "My sister was a good person. She was loving and caring and sweet. Everyone loved her. Kelly was a wonderful person."
Photo via Colorado Springs Police Department
Raymond Green Vance (He/Him)
"On November 19th, 2022, Raymond Green Vance went to Club Q to enjoy a show with his longtime girlfriend, her parents, and her parents' friends; they were celebrating a birthday," Vance's family wrote in a public statement. "The 22-year-old had never been to that nightclub before, and although he is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, he himself is not a member of it. Unfortunately, he never left the club. Raymond was the victim of a man who unleashed terror on innocent people out with family and friends. His own family and friends are completely devastated by the sudden loss of a son, grandson, brother, nephew, and cousin loved by so many."
The statement continued:
"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. He had just gotten a new job at a Colorado Springs FedEx distribution center and was thrilled to have received his first paycheck. He couldn't wait to save enough money to get his own apartment, but in the meantime, he lived with his mother and younger brother who adored him."
Photo via Colorado Springs Police Department
