Army veteran who disarmed Club Q attacker to lead first Pride parade since the shooting

Organizers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are preparing for the city’s first Pride parade since a November 2022 shooting at an LGBTQ club in the city that left five people dead and 17 others injured.

Richard Fierro, a decorated Army veteran who was one of two individuals who tackled and subdued the gunman inside Club Q, will lead the Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Pride in remembrance of the five people killed in the shooting.

“I’m humbled beyond belief to be accepted into the community and asked as a straight dude to grand marshal their parade,” Fierro told NBC News. “And to me, that’s a signal of something that we all need to take, take light in.”

The parade’s theme is “The Power of Pride,” a spokesperson said, emphasizing the community’s resilience and ability to stand strong in the face of tragedy.