LGBTQ+ club almost set on fire just hours before Club Q shooting
A Hispanic LGBTQ+ nightclub in Denver is sharing its concerns after someone tried to set their building on fire just hours before the Club Q shooting.
Around 11 a.m. Saturday before the Club Q shooting, surveillance video from the Potrero nightclub on East Virginia Avenue in Glendale shows a man with a suitcase walking up to the building, setting the club's curtains on fire with a lighter.
Business manager Dawn Owens says she's afraid that there was malintent behind these actions. Though there is no clear indication that this incident was connected to the Club Q shooting, Owens finds it odd.
"When we saw that that happened shortly after we closed… we wondered… we were like, 'oh okay, is it only being targeted because we are a similar type of business? Or what is going on?'" said Owens.
The club has been around for 19 years and has also served as a safe haven for those in the LGBTQ+ and Hispanic communities in Denver. They usually host drag shows and play a variety of music genres.
It's a place where many find themselves safe, but in this climate, it doesn't feel safe.
"It makes me very emotional… it does, I witness a lot of hatred toward the LGBTQ+ community, I've watched a lot of people who were not able to survive so the fact that this is still going on in this day in age it makes you sad, it makes you a little bit angry, it makes you scared. It gets all the emotions running," said Owens.
On a good night, the club brings in about 500 customers and they have at least 15 security guards on staff, but that isn't enough to make them feel secure. The owner of the club, Jose Andres Gamboya says none of his security guards are armed.
"Any person can come to the club and shoot the security and enter the club… I mean even though we are taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of our patrons and be careful… it can still happen," said Gamboya.
In this case, they feel grateful the fire did not spread, but they are not taking any interaction lightly.
"We need to be more aware when things like this happen because we have a tendency to be targeted when other places are and so we are always on high alert," said Owens.
The club has filed a police report and will press charges once the suspect is found.
The club also plans to host a drag show on Friday and look to donate the proceeds to the families of the Club Q victims.
