COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — Club Q leaders are working to rebuild after the senseless shooting on Nov. 19, 2022, that killed five people and wounded 17 others.
Founding owner Matthew Haynes said the club wasn’t going to let hate win.
“It just became apparent that Club Q needed to reopen,” Haynes said. “We needed to make it very clear to this community, the nation, the world, that we will not be broken by hate.”
Now plans to build a permanent memorial are underway.
“This is not about forgetting what happened and just getting the business open,” Haynes said. “This is about remembering what happened and always being able to tell that story.”
Vice President of Operations Michael Anderson remembers that night vividly.
“The shooting was the most horrific moment of my life and to have somewhere we can go to reflect, remember, process, grieve and move forward is incredibly important,” Anderson said.
Five pillars, representing those lost, will stand 12 feet tall filled with mosaic grout to represent the thousands impacted.
“It’s a sad reality that mass shootings are so commonplace in this country,” Anderson said. “We are now just part of that statistic, but we don’t want to stay as just a statistic.”
The tribute will also feature 17 boulders to represent those injured, with a 40-foot flagpole in the center for all to see. The memorial will be open 24/7.
“Club Q will be a beacon of strength in this country,” Anderson said. “We want to be an example of strength, love, resilience and persistence and that’s what Club Q is.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help support the tribute.
Haynes said they’re hoping to break ground on the memorial in about six to eight weeks.