Hero who helped thwart Colorado Springs gunman: 'I would shield everyone I could' - ABC News

One of the two men credited arsenic heroes for stopping the Colorado Springs gunman arsenic helium searched for much victims, has spoken from his infirmary bed.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer, Second Class, Thomas James helped U.S. Army seasoned Richard Fierro subdue the alleged gunman, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, aft Aldrich stormed LGBTQ nightclub Club Q successful Colorado Springs connected Nov. 19. The wide shooting claimed the lives of 5 people and injured much than a dozen, according to instrumentality enforcement.

After Fierro confronted Aldrich, yanking him from down and causing him to fall, James aided successful warring with Aldrich to marque definite helium could not scope the firearms helium had dropped, Fierro told ABC News past week.

"At that moment, me, Thomas, ... we're each trying to support everybody alive," Fierro said. "... everybody was a leader that day."

Flowers, candles, and mementos near astatine a memorial aft a wide shooting astatine LGBTQ nightclub Club Q, Nov. 26, 2022, successful Colorado Springs, Colo.

Isaiah Downing/Reuters

As of Sunday, James was inactive recovering from his injures astatine the Centura Penrose Hospital successful unchangeable condition.

In a connection released from the hospital, James said during the chaos of the shooting helium "simply wanted to prevention the household I found."

"If I had my way, I would shield everyone I could from the nonsensical acts of hatred successful the world, but I americium lone 1 person," helium said.

Petty Officer Thomas James, injured successful the Club Q shooting, successful his infirmary furniture astatine Centura Penrose Hospital.

H/T Vera Drymon/U.S. Navy

James continued, saying that helium and his assemblage person travel "a agelong mode from Stonewall," the New York City barroom that was the tract of the 1969 riots that launched the Gay Rights Movement.

"Bullies aren’t invincible," James said.

James said his thoughts are with those who were killed and injured astatine Club Q, adding that "pain and nonaccomplishment person been each excessively communal these past fewer years."

"To the younker I accidental beryllium brave," helium said. "Your household is retired there. You are loved and valued. So erstwhile you travel retired of the closet, travel retired swinging.”

One of the club's regulars who was injured successful the shooting, Ed Sanders, told ABC News from his infirmary furniture past week that helium looks guardant to returning to the club aft helium recovers, describing it arsenic a spot helium called location for a agelong time.

Another nine regular who was adjacent the DJ booth erstwhile helium heard the gunshots and consequent screams, told ABC News that Club Q is simply a "safe space" for the LGBTQ community.

"Coming here, this is 1 of the archetypal places that I felt accepted to beryllium who I am," helium said. "...It's expected to beryllium a harmless abstraction and the assemblage shouldn't person to spell done thing similar this."

ABC News' Vera Drymon contributed to this report.