People in Central Alabama are mourning the deaths of five people who died in the shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs over the weekend. The fatal nightclub shooting occurred near the home of nightclub owners in Central Alabama. “Yes, as soon as I heard about what happened in Colorado Springs, memories of what happened at Pulse immediately came to mind,” says Mark Cummings, owner of Al’s On Seventh. “What happened again in June 2016.” Central Alabama mourned the victims of the Pulse shooting at Pride Fest in the summer of 2016. 49 people were killed in Orlando. Now the community mourns those lost at Club Q. “It was an instant emptiness in my stomach,” said Josh Coleman, president of Central Alabama Pride. “A sense of loss, not just for the LGBTQ community, but for people there in Colorado Springs and everywhere.” The Club Q mass shooting serves as an unfortunate reminder to business owners in the area that it can happen anywhere. “We’re always worried,” adds Cummings. “We always try our best to keep our heads on the move and consistently look for potential. My General Manager and I spoke yesterday and today about the potential for additional security.” And what happened in Colorado Springs casts some doubt as to whether progress has been made since the pulse shooting 6 years ago. “Yes, I think progress has been made in the last six years,” explains Coleman. “But I think what we’re seeing now is hateful rhetoric being spewed out. And people who don’t understand that their words matter, even if they’re jokes. That those actions and words have consequences.” Cummings says he doesn’t think what happened in Colorado will put people off coming to his nightclub. If anything, he says, it will strengthen the community.
People in Central Alabama are mourning the deaths of five people who died in the shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs over the weekend.
The fatal nightclub shooting occurred near the home of nightclub owners in Central Alabama.
“Yes, as soon as I heard about what happened in Colorado Springs, memories of what happened at Pulse immediately came to mind,” says Mark Cummings, owner of Al’s On Seventh. “What happened again in June 2016.”
Central Alabama mourned the victims of the Pulse shooting at Pride Fest in the summer of 2016. 49 people were killed in Orlando. Now the community mourns those lost in Club Q.
“It was an instant emptiness in my stomach,” said Josh Coleman, president of Central Alabama Pride. “A sense of loss, not just for the LGBTQ community, but for people there in Colorado Springs and everywhere.”
The Club Q mass shooting serves as an unfortunate reminder to business owners in the area that it can happen anywhere.
“We’re always worried,” adds Cummings. “We always try our best to keep our heads clear and consistently look around for potential. My CEO and I discussed the potential for additional security yesterday and today.”
And what happened in Colorado Springs raises some doubts as to whether progress has been made since Pulse was shot 6 years ago.
“Yes, I think progress has been made in the last six years,” explains Coleman. “But I think what we’re seeing now is hateful rhetoric being spewed out. And people who don’t understand that their words matter, even if they’re joking. That these actions and words have consequences.”
Cummings says he doesn’t think what happened in Colorado will stop people from coming to his nightclub. If anything, he says, it will strengthen the community.