Is Colorado becoming the home for senseless random shootings?

I woke up Sunday morning to hear about another shooting in our beautiful state of Colorado. This time, it was at an LGBTQ Club in Colorado Springs. Investigators are looking into the shooting and trying to determine whether it was a hate crime, but many people are already assuming it was just that.

Governor Polis called the attack "horrific, sickening, and devastating." The suspect was identified as Anderson Lee Aldridge, a 22-year-old male. Two firearms were discovered at the scene, and at least one patron heroically intervened to subdue the suspect. Those individuals are being widely praised, as their actions likely saved lives.

CLUB Q in Colorado Springs - November 19, 2022

Anyone who watches the news knows this isn't the first time we are dealing with random shootings in Colorado. Below are several horrific shootings that have taken place in the state that, years and even decades later, still stick out in my mind and in the minds of many:

Columbine High School - April 20, 1999

I grew up on the front range and went to Arvada West. Columbine was close to my heart, because I knew a few students that were going to Columbine during the shooting.

Aurora Theater Shooting - July 20, 2012

Although I was lucky not to lose any friends during that episode, my luck almost ran out during the Aurora Theater shooting. I had planned on going to that very same theater that night to watch the New Batman movie, but the theater was sold out. I ended up going to Broomfield that night to see Batman. It was only when we came out of theater and got into the car that I first heard about what happened in Aurora. Needless to say, I cried hard that night, as did many across the country and world.

Boulder King Soopers - March 22, 2021

The third shooting that sticks out in my mind happened at the King Soopers in Boulder. My connection was a dear friend who had just left the store when the shootings occurred.

Since those moments, every time I hear about another senseless shooting, it drives my soul deeper into depression. We need to, as Coloradoans and Americans, figure out a way to stop these horrific acts of violence.

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