but richard fierro was apparently able to grab him and throw him down and that apparently knocked the man's long gund the ar-15 style rifle out of man's reach. mr. fierro said in addition to f the ar-15, he had a handgun as well.n he grabbed the handgun away from the gunman and started hitting him with it. now, since the man was wearing body armor, mr. fierro said he was trying to hit the man whereg he could see and feel that the man wasn't protected by the bodt armor.'t he hit him where he could find skin. he was hitting him with his own gun.it he ended up hitting him in the u head over and over again. he yelled for other club patrons to help him. phi one man was able to help. he grabbed the ar-15 from the man and moved it away to safety. he said one of the drag performers came out and stomped on the gunman with her heels. the whole time richard said he a kept hitting the shooter in the head. and he remained on top of the guy until the police arrived. he himself was covered in blood by that point.lf the police ended up tackling him, tackling richard fierro, ro putting him in the poli

. >> police say to people who are at the club, thomas james and richard fierro charge the attacker. richard fierro told the new york times how he wrestled away a handgun from the shooter and beat him with it. then, he was able to get more help. telling the paper this. a drag dancer was passing by and missed richard fierro says he ordered her to stop the attacker with her high heels. and just hours ago, richard fierro explain to reporters why he did what he did. >> i got into mode. and i needed to save my family. and that family was, at that time, everybody in that room. i pulled him down. i told him i was hitting him. i want to kill you. i try to save people and it didn't work for five. there are five people who aren't home right now. >> and one of those people was very close to richard fierro, his daughter's boyfriend was one of the five people killed in a shooting. we will have more on the people who lost their lives later in the hour. -- joins us now from colorado springs -- take us there. what are people telling you tonight? >> stephanie, i have been outside the memorial all day

raymond greene, vance, the boyfriend of richard fierro's daughter, was one of those murdered.shley paw. the mass murderer will make a first court appearance tomorrow facing five counts of first degree murder and five counts of a bias motivated crime causing bodily injury. joining us now is the governor of colorado, jared polis. thank you so much for joining us tonight. i know this has been a really horrific time for you. what are you telling people of colorado to hold them together during this grieving time? >> first of all, thank you for highlighting richard fierro, and of course thomas james himself, the other hero, currently recovering from gunshot wounds in the hospital. these two men, one active duty, the other, richard fierro, a veteran, we're in the right place at the right time, did the right thing. and if they hadn't, we might be mourning the loss of several dozen people as a result. look, i am really encouraging folks to show love for one another, to come together and support one another. for those who want to financially help, colorado healing fund dot org is on the

richard fierro saying that he was just a good kid.is one family that is grieving and struggling with moving forward after this, as many families in this community are doing of the and even as fierro is being hailed a hero here, he's still having to deal with that. and i asked him last night what was going through his mind the moment that he decided to take down that shooter. he told me he was thinking i've got to kill this kid or he's going to kill my kid, my wife, my family. so that's a little bit about his mindset and you mentioned that he's a decorated army veteran. he completed four tours in all in iraq and afghanistan and i also asked him compared to his experience at war, what was saturday night like? he said it was the same thing. it was the same thing except that he chose to go to war, and the victims in this shooting, the people who were at club q on saturday night, did not choose this. chris. >> a chilling distinction. priscilla thompson and paul butler, thank you. we are expecting a statement from officials in the next five

and richard fierro is a hero. are we learning about him, the actions he took and also about the victims and the suspect? >> reporter: yeah, lindsey, richard fierro is a decorated army veteran. he did a total of four tours between iraq and afghanistan, and he was at q last night with his daughter and friends, and one of his daughter's friends was supposed to be performing and that's why they were there, and when the gunshots rang out he dropped to the ground and then made the split-second decision to charge the shooter. take a listen. >> i grabbed him by the back of his little cheap-ass armor thing and pulled him down, and i started whaling on this dual and was on top of him, and one of the performers walked by -- or was running by, and i told her, kick this guy, and she took her high heel and stuffed it in his face. >> reporter: fierro is credited, as you mentioned, with saving so many lives. he says he wishes he could have done more. of course, five people tragically died on that night, including the boyfriend of

richard fierro said he grabbed the gunman by the handle on the back of the body armor and pulled him to the floor and jumped on top of him. i want to stop to point out that the suspected gunman is reportedly well over six feet tall and he weighed something on the order of 300 pounds. mr. fierro said he's 300 pounds and he said this guy was bigger. so tackling this man even if he wasn't armed and the shoeing people. but he was able to grab him and throw him down and that apparently knocked the long gun, the ar-15 style rifle out of man's reach. mr. fierro said in addition to the ar-15, he had a handgun as well. he grabbed the handgun away from the gunman and started hitting him with it. now, since the man was wearing body armor, mr. fierro said he was trying to hit the man where he could see and feel that the man wasn't protected by the body armor. he hit him where he could find skin. he was hitting him with his own gun. he ended up hitting him in the head over and over again. he yelled for other club patrons to help him. one man was able to help. he said one of the drag performers ca

police are given credit to an army veteran, richard fierro , who they say took down the gunmen and saved people's lives. tonight, he told his story to cnn. >> my daughter and wife should never have experienced combat in colorado springs . everybody in that building experienced combat that night, not to their own accord, but because they were forced to. i feel no sorrow for that dude. >> one of the people who was killed was richard fierro's daughter's boyfriend. the suspect is still in the hospital, being held without bail. >>> back to breaking news we mentioned at the top of our broadcast, devin fehely has just gotten to the scene of the stanford shopping center where someone fired into a restaurant. devin, what is going on down there? >> reporter: right now, as you can see behind me, this is the flemings restaurant, it is a steakhouse on the front side of the stanford shopping center. earlier this evening, probably 90 minutes ago or so, there was at least one, possibly two shots fired into that restaurant. according to the palo alto police department, those gunshots were apparently fire

richard fierro says his military instincts kicked in and he was focused on eliminating the threat. though he is being hailed a hero he says he wishes he could have done more to protect the five people killed including his daughter's boyfriend. >> i'm not a hero i'm just some dude. >> reporter: richard fierro didn't think twice about stopping the gunman who opened fire in the middle of a colorado springs nightclub saturday night. >> i hit him with the gun, his gun, not mine. i grabbed it and i hit him with it. i kept hitting him with it. >> reporter: the u.s. army veteran who was at the club with his wife, daughter and her boyfriend raymond green vance says he wanted to save his family. >> my family was at that time everybody in that room. >> reporter: vance along with ashley paugh, kelly loving, derrick rump and daniel aston were killed. five crosses have been placed at the growing memorial outside of club q. the di's mayor says he wants this community to not be defined by the tragedy but by the response. >> too often society loses track of the victims of these sad and tragic event

and richard fierro was why she but his protective instincts but nobody's and doing a night with theirriends and families to go have to go into combat mode in the united states of america. that is not the country i grew up in. it is the country the pages and this institution but they bear a burden i never had growing up in the united states but then to be in a bar or the one safe place in their community they could go? not car accidents or drugs, but guns. the united states accounted for 97 percent of fair beds accounted for 97 percent and younger. that is almost 100 percent of the kids that are dying are from gunfire and who are four years old and younger. what a disgrace and then to go to the grocery store it was just last year. but then to have a list of names of people who lost their livesand we are reminded once again and just how much work is left to do. gave our children the safe and accepting future that theye deserve. that they want to have and then we're obligated to give them we have not finished that work in the united states senate. earlier this year the supreme court stri

joining us, is richard fierro who served three tours in iraq and afghanistan., first of all, thank you so much, thank you for your bravery at that moment. let me ask you how your family is doing. how are you doing? i know it's a very difficult time. as you mentioned, your family lost a loved one that night. how are you coping? >> obviously, it's difficult. i do want to take this time, and i don't know if i have, just to thank everyone. we're completely overwhelmed by everybody's generosity, and just the kind words that people are putting out. i've got it, people have differences of opinions and things like that. but i just hope that it continues to stay positive, there are five people, five families that deserve a positive vibe. and i think that's where i am humbled by what people are doing right now. >> yeah. as the mayor said, you saved many, many lives. and i think that should not be lost on anyone even on this tragedy that we continue to reel from, in this country. who helped you fight the gunman that night? and how did you manage to keep him at bay until a

now identifying the two heroes who stopped the suspect, richard fierro and thomas james. >> i have neverountered a person who had engaged in such heroic actions that was so humble. >> reporter: tonight, we know the names of those who lost their lives in the attack. club customers ashley paugh, raymond green vance and kelly loving and two bartenders daniel aston and derrick rump. the cell a bartender told me he was near his coworkers for the shooting started. >> i leaned down to talk to one of them and they were not very responsive, so i did not know what to do, so i just ran. >> reporter: the shooting comes amid a number of anti- lgbtq bills targeting transgender people for discrimination. today, u.s. transportation secretary pete buttigieg, the administration's highest- ranking openly man, tell cbs news he believes political rhetoric is providing fuel for violence. >> you cannot target a group to be feared and to be hated and then act surprised when a disturbed person or who knows goes out and follows that through with physical violence. >> reporter: joseph shelton says he found communi

. >>> and the president of the united states has called richard fierro and his wife jessica, one of the individuals who tackled that shooter in club q in colorado springs. >>> ana cabrera picks up our coverage right now. >>> hello i'm ana cabrera in new york. thanks so much for joining us. a hero is speaking and a coward isn't. officials tell us the gunman accused of killing five people and injuring more than a dozen others at an lgbtq nightclub in colorado refuses to talk. investigators say even without his cooperation they're looking into whether this was a bias motivated crime, in other words if he acted because of hate, if so he could face hate crime charges. we're told the charges won't be formally filed until the suspected shooter is out of the hospital, however. he's been there since the attack. it appears the suspect was injured by two heroic club goers who took him down, army veteran, richard fierro, said he grabbed onto a loop on the back of a flack jacket the shooter was wearing to pull him to the ground. >> i proceeded to take his other weapon, the pistol and start hitting h

for the first time, retired army major richard fierro is speaking out.being hailed as a hero after tackling the gunman and holding him until police arrived. president biden called fierro to thank him for his bravery and his instinct to act. fierro wasn't the only hero-- another patron kicked the gunman in head. and, we're learning more about the condition of the suspect, anderson lee aldrich. the 22-year-old is allegedly not cooperating with police. cbs's janet shamlian will start us off tonight from colorado springs. good evening, janet. >> reporter: norah, good evening., japt. >> reporter: norah, good five lives lost, but tonight, so many more saved, thanks to that army veteran who told us his story, how it was simply instinct for him to put himself in harm's way for the safety of others. richard fierro never expected a war zone would follow him home. >> i wasn't thinking. i just ran over there, got him. "i got to kill this guy-- he's going to kill my kid. he's going to kill my wife." >> reporter: the army veteran, awarded two bronze stars, was at club

and tonight, police are hailing two heroes, thomas james and richard fierro, who saved countless lives by disarming the gunman before officers arrived on the scene. fierro served 15 years in the army, including four tours in afghanistan and iraq. and he told "the new york times" that he went into combat mode and allegedly grabbed a pistol from the gunman and hit him in on the head "over and over." this bar was considered a safe space for the l.g.b.t.q. community, and the mayor of colorado springs tonight tells cbs news that the shooting certainly has the trappings of a hate crime. we have a lot of news to get to, and cbs' janet shamlian will start us off from colorado springs. good evening, janet. >> reporter: norah, good evening to you. tonight, we have new information about the shooting spree here at club q where people are gathering to pay tribute. we're also learning more about those who died. they are two employees, three customers, ambushed during a night out. the suspect, 22-year-old anderson lee aldrich, will face murder and hate crime charges. investigators say they will file

thank you so much, richard fierro, the army veteran who served three tours in iraq and afghanistan anderoes who helped save a lot of lives up to, thank you sir. >> still to come tonight, i will talk to one of the survivors who was inside at club q, who is also injured. he joins us from the hospital, where he is recovering. later, we'll go to arizona, where election broadcasts perseveres -- push one election official into hiding. stay with us. with us among my patients, i often see them have teetitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity & gum gives us the dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. movies are dreams there's no question it's something that you never forget. you wanna make movies. yes sir, i do. you mr. director, go do what ya gotta. i believe in you. cut! alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer. say hello to your fairy godmother alice and long lasting gain scent beads. t

richard fierro, an army veteran who authorities credit with saving many lives and subduing the gunman until police arrived. shooter has multiple firearms on him including an ar-15-style rifle. that suspect is facingp murder and hate charges today. rosa flores is starting us off. what more are you learning about the victims from the attack? >> reporter: we're learning more about their -- about them from their families, kate. they issued statements. daniel aston his family saying that he moved to colorado springs to be close to his mom and dad. raymond green vance, he was 22 and his family described him as being kind and selfless and gifted and willing to go out of his way for anyone. kelly loving, her sister tiffany said that she was a good person. that she was loving and carrying and sweet and everyone loved her. ashley paugh, her husband saying they were high school sweet hartz and she worked at a nonprofit to help foster children find homes. and derek rump, i spoke to a survivor at sanders who knew derek very well who said that he was such a kind person and always made sure that he

we're also learning the names of the two heroes that authorities say saved multiple lives here, richard fierro who you just heard from and also thomas james and just a little more about fea fierro, a u.s. army veteran who served four tours in iraq and afghanistan. >> senseless murder. thanks so much. >>> richard fierro we were just discussing there likely saved lives. the former army major is one of two men who took down the shooter saturday night. he was at club q with his wife, daughter and his daughter's boyfriend and family friends. in an interview with cnn he recalls hitting the ground the moment he heard the shots, but then says he immediately went into fight mode. >> i went to the ground, as soon as i heard the rounds, i dove down, i pushed over my friend as best i could and we both hit the ground, me and chip. i put my back against -- i tried to stand up and i fell and then i fell against -- it's like a bench seating and i -- and i -- at that point i saw the shooter. i had no idea what was going on, but apparently i saw him going to the patio area because i saw a lot of people in the w

richard fierro was at club q with his wife, daughter, and friend when the shooting began. that is when he jumped into action, pinning the gunman and grabbing his pistol while instructing others to grab the weapon. he says one drag queen pummeled the shooter with her heels. while he likely saved many lives, her daughters -- his daughter's boyfriend was one of those killed. >> there are five people i cannot help, one of which was family to me. i'm not excited. that guy is still alive and my family is not. jobina: the 22-year-old suspect faces murder and hate crime charges. this video shows his arrest last year when he was accused of making bomb threats towards his own mother. the case was dismissed because his family refused to operate. the suspect was due in court yesterday but the da says his injuries were so significant he had to stay in the hospital. reggie: people who live and work in san francisco's castro district are still struggling to process that deadly shooting. for those who run the numerous bars and nightclubs in the area at the colorado springs attack does hit

for the first time, retired army major richard fierro is speaking out. ackling the gunman and holding him until police arved. ident n called fierro s bry an fiersn't the only hero. another patron kickee the hd. and wee learning more about e c. the 22-year-old is allegedly not cooperating with police. cbs's janet shamlian will start springs. good evening, janet. >> reporter: norah, good evening. five lives lost. but tonight, so many more saved thanks to that army veteran, who told us his story, how it was simply instinct for him to put himself in harm's way for the safety of others. richard fierro never expected a war zone would follow him home. >> i wasn't thinking. i just ran over there, got him. i got to kill this guy. he's going to kill my kid. he's going to kill my wife. >> reporter: the army veteran awarded two bronze stars was at club q with his wife, daughter, and her boyfriend when the gunman started firing. >> it's a reflex. go. go to the fire. stop the action. stop the activity. don't let no one get hurt. >> reporter: fierro says he grabbed the

when the shooting started, richard fierro told the new york times that he hit the floor right away, he pulled a friend down with him. he says he then saw the gunman moving toward a door that lead from the inside of the club to a patio area. and he knew that dozens of people had fled out of the bar onto that patio to get away from the shooter. when he saw the shooter heading towards that patio, mr. fierro chased him down. he raced across the bar room. the gunman was reportedly wearing body armor, or shapiro says he grabbed the gunman by the handle on the back of the guy's body armor, and pulled him to the floor and then jump on top of him. i want to stop to point out for a second that the suspected gunman is reportedly well over six feet tall and he weighed something on the order of hundred pounds. mr. fierro says he is about 200 pounds and he said this guy is bigger. and that apparently not the man's long gun, that ar-15 style rifle just out of the man 's reach. mr. fierro said that he then saw that in addition to that ar-15, the guy had a hand gun as well. he grabbed the handgun away

because i'm not richard fierro. richard fierro is a 15-year veteran. he is a big guy.d he has that kind of metal where he ran towards the guy with the weapon of war. i, five foot three alisyn, can crawl into a very tight ball, very small. and i can hide more easily than richard fierro. so, it's just hard -- first of all, like you say, i can't believe we have to have this conversation. >> it's our third conversation. >> but we have to have our conversation, because it's gone through all our heads. isn't it just, you know, whatever you are capable of doing? >> it's both. so, i -- what's the alternative, right? it's both situational and personal. and so, you know, in these instances where you have a former vet who happens to be there. but thank god, is willing to go forward. we've seen other instances where members of the public who don't have that kind of training are able to disarm or basically what we call it is you take the fight to the shooter. in other words, if you're able to distract them, what you are trying to do is buy time. that is what these guns have not giv

richard fierro was there that night with his wife, daughter and friends.s in iraq and afghanistan kicked in. i got into mode and i needed to save my family, and that family was, at that time, everybody in that room. mr fierro charged through the room, tackled the gunman, and beat him with his own gun. i saw him and i went and got him, and when i pulled him down, i, i, i... i told him when i was hitting him, "i wanna kill you, guy." another bystander also confronted the shooter. thomas james, a drag performer at the club last night, apparently used high heels as a weapon. police have praised the pair as heroes. in my opinion, and i think the opinion of everyone involved, it saved a lot of lives. i have never encountered a person who had engaged in such heroic actions that was so humble about it. at that same press conference, police named the five people who passed away in the attack. daniel aston, derrick rump, kelly loving, ashley paugh and raymond vance. mr fierro also paid tribute to the victims. i tried to save people and it didn't work for five people

richard fierro was in the club q with his family when he heard gunfire and he set his instincts kicked in taking down the gunman. >> his gun, i grabbed it and i hit him with it. i am not a hero. i am just some dude. >> the suspect is expected to face charges once he is released. prosecutors say he will make his first court appearance remotely. >>> police say that a music teacher was arrested from the adalante dual language academy on ridge on monday drive. there are at least 10 victims under the age of 12. the suspect, 43-year-old israel santiago of morgan hill was arrested and now in santa clara county's main jail. >>> people are urged not to burn wood in the upcoming holiday weekend. wood smoke is the largest source of air pollution in the fall and winter in the bay area and on thanksgiving weekend, the air quality is expected to be moderate. while there is no spare the air alert in effect, just one fireplace can pollute the air of a neighborhood. >>> jessica, how is the draft looking? beautiful and sunny, guys. a lot of us have the work off and as we take a look at the temperatures

to hear richard fierro, a retired army major work through this. is trying to process it.esn't want to be called a hero. he said, the tragedy is that there were those who died still, that he couldn't save anyone because there was evil in there, because we still need to learn more, i know, but, it seems possible at least, there is some deranged person who thought that the drag show was a threat to him. somehow. >> that's right. and by the way, there are politicians, one of whom is in colorado, congresswoman lauren barber lauren boebert had tweeted out these things, she had these inflammatory treats, and now she is saying that this event is awful, but do you connect those things? >> i think that the problem that we have is that we live in a world where we are more connected than ever before, and so incredibly isolated, by virtue of advancing technology. so, how do you rectify those two things? how do you rectify somebody saying that i'm uncomfortable with >>> shows being exposed to children, the same time saying these are consenting adults who just want to enjoy a beer and h

amy: richard fierro was deployed to iraq and afghanistan four times and said in an interview with "the new york times" the experience still haunts him. he left the army in 2013 due to the brutal psychological and physical toll of war and said he ever thought he would experience the same violence at home. in pennsylvania, immigrant rights advocates welcomed a second bus full of asylum seekers in philadelphia monday morning, sent by texas republican governor greg abbott. abbott says -- sent at least 13,500 asylum seekers to sanctuary cities, including washington, d.c., and new york. since abbott was re-elected in november he's intensified his hate speech against immigrants, recently comparing the arrival of thousands of asylum seekers at the u.s.-mexico border to an "invasion." it's the same term used repeatedly by the white supremacist gunman charged with killing 23 people at a walmart store in el paso, texas, in 2019 , the deadliest attack on the latinx community in modern u.s. history. the ceo of one of ukraine's largest power companies has asked people to stock up on warm clothing an

his name is richard fierro. a drag performer used her heels to help him. going to hear from richard in a short time. >>> also we're learning the names of the five souls taken too soon and who they were and the people who loved them. rosa flores live in colorado springs. rosa, good morning to you. what are the new details you're learning? >> reporter: good morning, don, i want to share the names of the victims, raymond green vance, according to his family, he's described as being kind, gifted and willing to go out of his way for anyone. kelly loving, her sister tiffany her sister was a good person, loving and sweet. ashely paugh, her husband said she had a huge heart. and daniel aston, his family saying he moved to colorado springs to be closer to his family. and derick rump, i talked to a survivor who said derrick to give him a ride home. and we're also hearing the names of those who saved countless lives. >> everybody in that building, spares comment not to their own accord because they were forced to. >> reporter: richard fierro served four combat zones

>> reporter: yes, it is quite a story, richard fierro is an army veteran.gs kicked in when he heard gunshots , and spotted the shooter. is that he focused on eliminating the threat and protecting his family. when there was a drop in the shooting, he said he made his way over to the shooter, and grabbed one of his guns and then he just started to beat him with a gun. he said he did not start calling for other people in the club to come over to try to help him. another man that also helped to subdue the shooter came in and started to kick the suspect as well. he talks about the fact that he was here in this community. he is being hailed as a hero. he says he is not a hero, he just wanted to protect his family. unfortunately, one of the victims was his daughter's boyfriend. he was with them. they came to the club with friends to celebrate and richard fierro says, you know, i know i helped to save some lives, but i wish i could have done more to protect the five lives of those killed. >> is heartbreaking, nobody should have to go through this. what have you bee

. >>> it's impossible to unhear what richard fierro said before the break, he could not stop thinkinglives no one could have saved and those who loved them so dearly. he said of the other parents of the five killed in colorado springs, including his daughter's long time boyfriend, im quote all of them deserve to have their kids home tonight. we are talking about a tragedy by any definition, but also potentially a hate crime. authorities have yet to make that determination, but if they do, it would neither be the first this year or the first this month or even the first in the last several days. the new york city police department said today they are seeking a suspect in a window smashing in an lgbtq bar on saturday. with us is jared polis, the governor of colorado, and governor, thank you so much for being with us tonight. i'm sorry it's under these circumstances. walk us through, if you can, just how big a part of the community club q is in colorado springs tonight, and how members of that community are doing. >> first, thank you to american hero richard fierro and thank you for feat

richard fierro story is an example of solidarity and courage under the worst conditions, he took his colorado native, former spokesperson for the rnc, now a writer at large at bullwork?, he joins me now. i think everyone feels incredibly in awe of what fierro did and what the others in that room, it was not limited to him, there were a bunch of people who helped, we don't know all the names yet, but it also does serve as a kind of rebuttal of how this sort of disgusting story that has been told about the kinds of people that would go to a drag show, which has become a kind of hallmark from certain parts of the american right. >> yeah, it's the kind of story that's continued to be told today, chris. first, i want to say that i can't wait to go to colorado for christmas, and go to the company beer bruary, it's an unbelievable story. but look, jack -- pizza gate jack, who investigated whether the pizza place had a child sex ring in d. c. and became an internet hero on the right. he was out there today attacking richard, attacking the hero of the story and saying what is a veteran? what'

the president offered his thanks and support to veteran richard fierro. now, he stopped the gunman, who police say had just shot and killed five people inside club q saturday. he took down the shooter, grabbing him by his military jacket, pummeling him with the gunman's own weapon. >> i lost my kid's boyfriend. i tried. i tried to help everybody in there. i still feel bad that five people -- there's five people that didn't come home. and this guy, this guy, i told him while i was hitting him, i said i'm going to kill you, man, because you tried to kill my friends. my family was in there. as soon as i got done with that guy and the cop came in, i went across the room and started first aid with my friend who was shot in the chest, in the legs and the arms, and i told her joanne, stay with me, look me in the eye, stay with me. and i moved her head so she wouldn't see her arm because it was shot. and chip was right there, her husband, was reaching for her. so i put her hand in his hand. and that they could be together. i didn't know if they were going to make

. >> reporter: richard fierro did not think twice. >> i hit him with a gun . his gun , not mine. i grabbed it and i hit him with it and i kept hitting him with it. >> reporter: he was in the club with his wife and daughter and said he wanted to save his family. raymond green vance along with daniel astin and others got killed. this city's mayor says he doesn't want his community defined by the tragedy but the response. >> too often the community loses sight of the victims . we strive to give them the dignity and respect they deserve . >> reporter: the denver city and county building was lit up in pride colors overnight while there were vigils in north carolina and washington, d.c.. >> love one another and be your true authentic self. >> reporter: police are trying to determining the motive of the suspect, 22-year-old anderson lee aldrich who faces five counts of first-degree murder and counts of êbias-motivatedî crime . >>> and the colorado shooting putting red flag laws back in the spotlight . the suspect apparently threatened his mother with a bomb and police had to evacuate th

vance was the boyfriend of richard fierro's daughter. fierro, a decorated army veteran, was one of the two people who tackled and subdued the gunman in the club along with a drag performer who kicked the gunman with her high heels. fierro shared his account of what officials call an incredible act of heroism. >> i wasn't thinking. i just ran over there. got him. i got to kill this guy. he's going to kill my kid, my wife. he ended up killing my daughter's boyfriend. i wish i could have done more. okay. but those people aren't home tonight. i am, and i'm really upset by that. that's not something i'm proud of. >> joining us now with more is nbc correspondent morgan chesky live from colorado springs. good morning. how is the community doing three days after the attack? >> jose, good morning. still a heartbreaking day and time for the lgbtq community here in colorado springs. this memorial grows by the hour and day here. people putting down notes of support, flowers, crosses for those five victims. the club is just a stone's throw from where

vance's girlfriend was the daughter of one of saturday's heroes, army veteran richard fierro, who was at the club with his family and described how he and others took down the suspect and saved countless lives. >> i just know, i got into mode. and i needed to save my family. and that family was at that time, everybody in that room. and that's what i was trained to do. i saw him and i went and got him. i feel for every single person in that room. i feel no joy. i'm not happy. i'm not excited. that guy is still alive, and my family is not. >> joining me now is joshua thurman, who witnessed the shooting at club q in colorado springs, and nadine bridges. thank you both for being here. i want to start with you, joshua. and if you can, and i'm sorry to make you have to relive it, but tell us what happened in your experience inside club q that night. >> i was dancing on the dance floor. i heard a round of shots, four to five shouts rang out. and in my mind, it felt like it was syncopated with the music, so i really didn't pay it any attention. i heard another four to five shots ring out, and

extensive amounts of interviews and we are hearing from one of the heroes. 15-year army veteran richard fierroman. he was at the club with his wife, his daughter and his daughter's long-time boyfriend raymond green vance. he was one of the five that were killed in the attack. he describes his harrowing and gripping story. >> i grabbed him by the back of his little cheap [ bleep ] armor thing and i pulled him down. i grabbed the pistol from him and then i told the guy, move the ar, the kid in front of me. move the ar. get the ar away from him. and the kid did it. and then i started wailing on this dude. i'm on top of him. i'm a big dude, man, this guy was bigger. i just kept wailing him. kick him in his head. keep kicking his head. 911, somebody call 911. >> a true hero. more and more survivors are also speaking out in the wake of the attack. >> seven bullets went into me. i -- i. so thankful, i am very thankful. all seven bullets missed my organ, my spine, my kidney, my colon. saturday night i thought i was dead. my last phone call was to my father. i told him i was probably going to die, that

his girlfriend's father is richard fierro.e are now waiting for more details in terms of the other hero that was with raymond, or excuse me, with richard when it all happened. richard also elaborating there might have been a third person helping make these life saving actions. that's something the community is really feeling grateful for. i spent time at the memorial, at the vigil talking to community members yesterday and they just told me over and over again as they mourn, they want to push forward with these victims in mind. >> i want people to know we're a strong community. you attack one of us, you attack all of us, you know. >> i just want to say our voices are louder than gun shots. so they can do all the things they've been doing, but all it does is rile up people more and affect change in a better way. >> reporter: we heard from the doj saying they're considering pursuing federal charges. the local d.a. here in colorado mentioning they plan on if they're able to, bringing prosecuting against those hate crimes in order

shooting stories of heroism are starting to emerge mainly centered around this man army veteran richard fierrotnesses say he saved dozens of lives when he tackled and disarmed the gunman just moments after the shooting began. fierro says when he saw the muzzle flash, he knew immediately what was happening and after ducking to avoid incoming fire, his military instincts kicked in. that's what i was trained to do . i saw him and i went and got it, and i'm being this guys guys trying to wiggle. he's trying to get his ammo is guns. tributes to fierro are now pouring in the mayor of colorado springs to saying he's never encountered someone so humble after a heroic act like this. and people here who are still in shock, say focusing on fierros bravery is helping them cope with the loss of life and community coming together to show support, and that's far more powerful. but fierro says he feels no joy because five people died in the shooting. despite his efforts, lawmakers on the local and national level say it should never have happened. and that more needs to be done to stop the recent uptick of vio

witnesses say richard fierro saved lives when he disarmed the shooter just moments after he began openingrday night. says he feels no joy because five people were killed , including his daughter's boyfriend, and you are watching ktvu faxed to news here at 6 30 during the holiday season. food banks step up to help those who need it the most, but our local food banks are the backbone of a system that serves people year round. and as ktvu tom vacar reports, the need just keeps growing as the population gets older and the economy becomes less forgiving. a hindu group brought six carloads of foodstuffs to the food bank of contra costa and solano as an act of kindness to others, and the life lesson for their own little ones. we are just trying to contribute to the community, and this is the best way we can tell our children, you know howe this is the community we are living in. and you have to support the other people who are in need. in every respect. hunger is a numbers game, a complex equation of numbers of people. numbers of food donations, numbers of dollars numbers of volunteers. numbers

one of them, raymond green vance, was a family friend of richard fierro, one of two patrons celebrated ads heroes after they subdued the suspect. >> pulled him down, pinned him against the side. i started whaling on this dude. >> reporter: the president biden called the army veteran and his wife to offer condolences and thank him for his bravery. aldrich was arrested last year for an alleged bomb threat but not prosecuted. some are wondering why police didn't use the red flag laws to look for and seize weapons that he may have had toe time. y -- had at the time. a lot of questions in the case. >> absolutely. thank you. >> reporter: you bet. >>> to north carolina now where two people are dead after a news helicopter crashed along a busy interstate leaving our cbs affiliate there to report on the loss of their own colleagues. mark strassmann has the story. >> reporter: this noontime disaster fell from the sky. a news helicopter crashed right along i-77 in charlotte. it belonged to wbtv, the cbs affiliate there. why it crashed remains unclear, but both people aboard were killed including

. >> reporter: richard fierro did not think twice about stopping the gunmen who opened fire in the middle of the colorado springs nightclub saturday night. >> i hit him with the gun. his gun, not mine. i grabbed it , and i hit him with it. i kept hitting him with it. >> reporter: the u.s. army veteran who was at the club with his wife, daughter, and her boyfriend, raymond green vance says he wanted to save his family. >> that family was, at that time, everyone in that room. >> reporter: vance, along with ashley parr, kelly leslie and bartenders derek crom and eric astin were killed. >> my daughter got to spend her last day with him , happy. >> reporter: crosses have been placed outside of the growing oriole outside of club q. the city's mayor says he does not want his community to be defined by the tragedy, but by the response. >> too often, society loses track of the victims of these sad and tragic events. we strive to give the victims the dignity and respect that they deserve. >> reporter: tributes continued monday, in colorado springs, and other cities. the denver city and county build

. >> that is richard fierro with nbc's steve patterson.the patrons whoa officials credit with saving a lot of lives at club q. he tackled the gunman who had just shot and killed five people and injured 19 more at the lgbtq club with an ar-15 style rifle. we just learned last hour that the suspect has been released from the hospital. he will face five murder charges and five hate crime charges. another senseless loss of life from gun violence. officials yesterday shared the names of the victims with all of us in the public. >> we respect all of our community members, including our lgbtq community. therefore, we will be identifying the victims by how they identified themselves and how their families have loved and identified them. the first person i'll identify is kelly loving. kelly's pronouns are she/her. daniel aston. daniel's pronouns are he/him. derrick rump. derrick's pronouns of he/him. ashley paugh. ashley's pronouns are she/her. raymond green vance. raymond's pronouns are he/him. >> let's bring into our coverage of this story once a

the police chief saying the shooter was stopped by two patrons, thomas james and richard fierro, a decoratedran who charged him and beat the shooter with his own handgun. >> i know i got into mode and i needed to save my family. and that family was that time everybody in the room. that's what i was trained to do. i saw him and i went and got him. >> in just a few minutes, at least 17 were wounded and 5 were dead. >> i'm haunted by some of the things i saw last night. when i close my eyes, i'd rather not specify, but what i saw last night was something i will never forget ever in my life. and it's still something i'm trying to trying to unsee. >> among the dead were ashley paw, kelly loving, derek rump, ramond green vance, and wyatt's boyfriend, daniel ashton. >> he was funny. he was witty. he could match me in stupid witty comments. i think my favorite thing about him were his eyes. those deep blue pools. i could just get lost looking into his eyes. >> wyatt told me even though he and daniel had only been together a few months, they were already talking about getting married. >> he told me h

for army veteran richard fierro, there was no waiting or wondering.h his own family's lives at stake, he decided to take action. >> i just know i got into mode and i needed to save my family, and that family was at that time everybody in that room. >> reporter: it was a battlefield richard fierro couldn't have imagine. a beloved club where he came with his wife, daughter, her boyfriend and friends for a drag show. when the bullets started flying the 15-year army vet who served four combat tours in iraq and afghanistan felt instincts kick in. >> it's a reflex. go. go to the fire. stop the action. stop the activity. don't let no one get hurt. >> reporter: charging through the chaos, fierro said he tackled the gunman who was wearing full body armor, knocking a rifle out of his hands, then wrestling away a handgun, using it to beat the shooter. he says he even enlisted the help of a drag performer at the club. >> i told her, kick this guy. kick this guy. she took her high heel and stuffed it in his face. >> reporter: but fierro wasn't able to save his dau

richard fierro saved lives when he disarmed. the shooter bureau says he grabbed the gunman and beat him with his own handgun. five people were shot and killed, including the boyfriend of fierros daughter raymond was. it was a great young man who's playing football. he just finished high school. i was trying to figure out how he's gonna, you know, make it in this world. he was debating whether you want to join the military and he took care of my daughter. fierro and his family were at the club to see one of the drag performers whose best friend who was the best friend of fierros daughter remembrance in the south bay for the hundreds of people who died in the city of san jose, while living on the streets today also marks two years since two homeless people were stabbed to death while seeking shelter in a church in san jose ktvu south bay reporter lamonica peters. has more on the memorial and how the church is mourning the victims. for the last five years, the house response group or urge, has held a ceremony displaying these styro

she says president biden spoke on the phone with richard fierro, offering his condolences in advice for handling grief, along with fellow bar goer thomas james are credited with stopping the shooting spree. >> richard and thomas are heroes and we're so grateful for their quick action. and there are no words, no words at all. that can bring comfort to those who are grieving. but we stand with the community of colorado springs and lgbtqi plus community with the investigation ongoing and no response from the aldridge family. there are more questions than answers as to why the 22 year-old allegedly committed this mass shooting. we also don't know why aldridge was never formally charged in june 2021. when he was arrested over a bomb threat in his neighborhood. >> news nation has obtained these videos from a source close to the family. but law enforcement officials won't comment or even confirm that it's the same person. colorado has some of the strictest ceiling laws in the nation. and since the case was dismissed, the public record has been essentially white. when asked about the incident l