I'm Thankful for Richard M. Fierro

Following the Club Q Shooting, Let's Remember His Name

Richard M. Fierro wasn’t a good guy with a gun. He is a hero who, without a weapon, risked his life in Club Q to subdue the shooter—whose name I won’t include in this post.

The New York Times printed a detailed story of Richard’s heroics. “He saved a lot of lives,” said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers.

Jay Korff @Jay7News

Dave Phillips may very well win his third Pulitzer Prize for this gripping and heartbreaking story of a hero and the never ending cost of blood shed.

nytimes.comArmy Veteran Went Into ‘Combat Mode’ to Disarm the Club Q GunmanRichard M. Fierro, who served for 15 years in the military, was at the nightclub in Colorado Springs with his family when the gunman opened fire. “I just knew I had to take him down,” he said.

Richard was at the club for the drag show—his first—with his wife and daughter and her boyfriend. Both women were injured and are now recovering.

An American soldier who served for 15 years, leaving as a major in 2013, Richard had the training and combat experience to know what to do—and how dangerous it was to do it.

When the shooter started firing, Richard charged through the chaos toward the 300-plus-pound man with the assault rifle. He tackled him, took the shooter’s backup weapon, a pistol, and beat him bloody and unconscious with it.

He hadn’t intended to spare the shooter. “I just know I have to kill this guy before he kills us,” Richard said. He thought he might have done it. When police arrived, the shooter wasn’t moving.

Covered in blood, he almost took charge of the scene, directing the police and using their first-aid kits to help his wounded friends.

At one point, police, seeing a bloody man with a gun, handcuffed him and locked him in a squad car. Once freed, he took his wife and daughter to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries and to check on the condition of friends.

While several of his friends were seriously injured, they are alive and expected to survive. His daughter’s boyfriend, Raymond Green, wasn’t at the hospital. They unsuccessfully searched everywhere for him in the wee hours. Capping the event in personal tragedy, late Sunday, they got word that he was among those killed in the shooting.

I am thankful for Richard. His picture should be inserted in Webster’s next to the word “hero.” He knew the risk. He took action. In a club crowded with unarmed people out for a fun evening, he saved countless lives.

Molly Knight

, who writes about baseball here on Substack, notes that Richard and his wife own a local brewery in Colorado Springs. She suggested on Twitter, "Let's crash their website by buying out all their gift certificates and other merch in support."

Molly Knight @molly_knight

Richard M. Fierro, the hero who tackled the Colorado Springs gunman, owns a local Brewery called Attrevido Beer Co. with his family. Let’s crash their website by buying out all their gift certificates and other merch in support:

atrevidabeerco.comAtrevida Beer Co. ShopJess Fierro is the Owner and Head Brewer of Atrevida Beer Company and is challenging the standard definition of craft beer. Jess is the winner of the TV series “Beerland” Season 1, she is designing beers that will entice any beer drinker. Support a Latina, Woman, Veteran, Family Business.

As we gather with family this week for Thanksgiving, let’s remember how precious life is and how dear each family member and friend is. And let’s remember the hero of Club Q, Richard M. Fierro.