Decorated Army veteran Richard Fierro—who was in Colorado Springs' LGBTQ+ Club Q with his wife and daughter to watch the weekly drag show—emotionally recalled how he worked with other patrons to stop the gunman who opened fire in the club, killing 5 and injuring others.
Fierro was watching the drag show when the gunman opened fire. The shooter was wearing armor and wielding an AR-15-style rifle and carrying two handguns.
Fierro and his wife, Jessica, recounted how Fierro charged across the room, took down the gunman and began to beat him with his own weapon.
The New York Times reported Fierro said:
"I just went into combat mode."
"I just know I have to kill this guy before he kills us."
Fierro then said he started yelling orders to a nearby man who also helped.
According to The Washington Post, Fierro beat the shooter with his pistol while ordering the man to remove the gunman's rifle.
Fierro recounted:
"I said, 'Kick him! Move the AR!'"
"Then I just started hitting him."
"But he was in armor plates, so I started hitting him wherever there was skin."
Fierro then said the man helping him began to tire, so he shouted to a person he saw in high heels to kick the shooter to dislodge the gun.
"She kicked him because the other guy was tired."
Del Lusional—the drag queen who was hosting the show that night—shared on Twitter the patron in heels who kicked the gunman to dislodge the rifle is a trans woman. She was previously misidentified in interviews and online as a drag queen.
Del Lusional tweeted:
"The one who saved my life and stomped the shooter's face in was not a drag queen, she is a trans woman."
Del Lusional made it clear she did not think Fierro purposely misidentified the patron as a drag performer. She added she wanted to clarify so moving forward the information would be correct.
A news conference from Fierro's home can be seen only on YouTube due to playback restrictions.
WARNING: NSFW language
A clip from the press conference can be seen below.
On Monday, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said:
"I have never encountered a person who had engaged in such heroic actions who was so humble about it."
"He simply said to me, 'I was trying to protect my family.'"
The masses took to Twitter to applaud Fierro and thank him for his courage.
Fierro and his wife own microbrewery Atrevida Beer Co. in Colorado Springs.
Jessica Fierro posted on Facebook Richard injured his knee, hands and ankle during the attack at Club Q.
She also revealed two of their friends were shot multiple times and their daughter Kassandra broke her knee.
Kassandra's boyfriend Raymond Green Vance was killed in the attack.
People on Twitter wanted to show their gratitude by supporting the Fierro family's business.
Clearly they live their values, seem like some people we should definitely all support. pic.twitter.com/KwEiYLrgWG
— Ryan White (@whiteryanc) November 21, 2022
Jessica added in her post:
"We are devastated and torn. We love our [LGBTQ+] community and stand with them."
"This cowardly and despicable act of hate has no room in our lives or business."
"F*CK HATE. It has left us and our community scarred but not broken."
"Much love to everyone."
