A 40-year-old transgender woman named Kelly Loving was one of five people killed in a mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, on November 19, 2022. Loving, who was visiting from Memphis, Tennessee, had recently celebrated her 40th birthday and was excited to explore her new life in Colorado. Friends and family described her as a caring and sweet person who was a mother figure to many in her community.
She was known for her efforts to help others and make them feel confident.
On the night of the attack, a gunman entered the club and opened fire. Loving was on a FaceTime call with a friend just moments before the shooting began. During the chaos, she was fatally shot. One survivor recounted that Loving fell on top of them, believing she may have shielded them from the gunfire. In total, five people lost their lives in the attack, and many others were injured.
The suspected shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, who was 22 years old at the time, was subdued by two patrons at the club before police arrived. Aldrich was taken into custody and subsequently faced numerous charges, including murder and hate crimes. The attack, which occurred on the eve of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, was a tragic loss for the LGBTQ+ community and all who knew and loved Kelly Loving.
