COLORADO SPRINGS — Hundreds turned out at Acacia Park downtown on Monday night for a candlelight vigil. It was an opportunity for the community to come together, to remember the victims who lost their lives in the Club Q shooting.
At the front where the speakers and performers were, were photos and names shown of the five victims taken too soon. Parker Grey organized the vigil at Acacia Park to be a safe space for people to share their emotions and heal with one another.
“We’re giving people a place to come and mourn and grieve and be together. Whatever emotions people want to feel, if it turns out to be anger, if it turns out to be sadness, it's welcome,” said Parker.
Those in attendance also shared more about the type of people their friends and loved ones were.
“Daniel had a big heart, and Derek had a big heart, and there are so many words that can describe them, but there's not even dictionaries or thesauruses in the world that can describe those two great human beings,” said jimmy Gomez-Beisch.
Gomez-Beish worked at Club Q in previous years. He said he knew two of the victims, Daniel Aston and Derrick Rump.
“I’m hurting deep inside. I lost two good friends. I’m going to miss them so much,” said Gomez-Beisch, as he became emotional.
As the sun went down, more candles were lit, and more people embraced one another.
“Come here, be with your friends, be with your family, talk about the good times, talk about the memories you had,” said Chelsea Justice, who attended the vigil.
For Justice, the night was for remembering her friend Ashley Paugh, and the other victims of the shooting.
“Sarcastic and happy go lucky, just truly was. So we're here tonight, to be here for the community and to be here for the loss and to be here for the injured,” said Justice.
She says now in a time of tragedy is a time to come together.
“When anybody is taken out of this community, you have a whole family to back up on. But right now, our entire family is broken,” said Justice.
Members of the Colorado Springs Police Department were also in attendance at the vigil. They also expressed their thoughts and condolences with the community.
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