Officials identify 5 victims killed in Club Q shooting

The five people killed over the weekend at the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs were identified on Monday evening.

Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez shared their names and the pronouns they used, and led a moment of silence for the victims.

Daniel Aston, a 28-year-old transgender man, was a bartender at Club Q. His mother, Sabrina Aston, told The Associated Press, "We are in shock. We cried for a little bit, but then you go through this phase where you are just kind of numb, and I'm sure it will hit us again. I keep thinking it's a mistake, they made a mistake, and that he is really alive."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Derrick Rump, 38, was also a bartender at Club Q. Keoni Moore, a DJ who used to work at the club, described Rump to the Los Angeles Times as a "lovely, funny, hilarious person" who was "very much the comedian." Rump was known for playing Britney Spears songs so loud the music could be heard outside in the parking lot, as well as his generous nature; when the club's performers lost their jobs during the early days of the pandemic, he bought their groceries for two months.

Kelly Loving, a 40-year-old transgender woman, was visiting Colorado Springs from Denver. She had just celebrated her birthday on Nov. 16, and planned to celebrate Thanksgiving with her friend Natalee Skye, who told the Times Loving was "like a mother to me." Loving's sister, Tiffany Loving, said in a statement that her "condolences go out to all the families who lost someone in this tragic event, and to everyone struggling to be accepted in this world. My sister was a good person."

Ashley Paugh, 35, was a married mother of an 11-year-old daughter. She worked at Kids Crossing, a foster care nonprofit organization in Colorado Springs, and was at the club to watch a stand up comedian's set. Paugh was an "amazing sister, daughter, wife, aunt, and cousin," her sister Stephanie Clark told The Washington Post. She had "the biggest heart in the whole world," Clark continued. "She loved her family unconditionally. Our family is completely heartbroken right now and will miss her more than words can say."

Raymond Vance, 22, was at Club Q with his longtime girlfriend's family to celebrate a birthday. "Even though my son didn't discriminate against the LGBTQ community, he wasn't a part of the community," his mother Adriana Vance told the Post. "This was his first time going to the club. Unfortunately, Raymond was there at the wrong time." Vance worked at FedEx and was saving up to buy his own house. For the family he left behind, "It's like we're still trying to wake up from a nightmare," his mother said.