- Jerecho Loveall was shot in the leg at a nightclub when a gunman opened fire.
- On Saturday night, five people were killed and 25 were injured at Club Q in Colorado Springs.
Jerecho Loveall hadn't realized he'd been shot. He'd been sitting at the bar at Club Q — a nightclub in Colorado Springs he's frequented nearly every Saturday night for the last 12 years — when a gunman walked through the door just before midnight.
Loveall told Insider he watched the gunman open fire into the bar area, shattering the glass around him. People fell to the floor as the suspect made his way to the dance floor, firing more rounds until he got to the patio, where he was stopped by patrons who tackled him to the ground. A US Army veteran helped disarm the suspect and a drag performer stomped on the shooter with high heels, the veteran told The New York Times.
It all happened within minutes.
Five people were killed that night at the popular LGBTQ bar, including Kelly Loving, Derrick Rump, Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, and Ashley Paugh. Another 25 people were injured.
'The world needs to know what happened here'
After being shot in the leg, Loveall — who works as an operations manager for a lumber company — remained in the bar, looking for people and handing out rags until the police arrived.
"The adrenaline was rushing through my body and at that time I did not know, or I didn't want to admit that I had been hit. I was just worried about making sure everyone I cared about and loved was okay," he told Insider.
He eventually walked outside limping, searching for two of his family members who were also there that night. After spotting them, they lifted up his pant leg to see he was bleeding. The bullet went through Loveall's shin, grazing the bone but fortunately, not breaking it.
He currently has an open wound, including pieces of metal that are still stuck in his leg. "It may not work the same as it did before, and I will not dance the same as I used to, but it should heal and I should be alright," he said.
The shooting suspect was identified as a 22-year-old male who is in hospital, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.
The mass shooting came one day before Transgender Day of Remembrance. Club Q had planned an "all ages" drag brunch on Sunday in honor of this day.
Loveall said Club Q has always been a safe, accepting place for people to be who they are. He said the community is reeling from the horrifying night. "Those brave individuals who were able to get him down, they took a grave risk and he didn't hurt anybody else. They took care of the family," he said.
"The world needs to know what happened here."