Romanucci & Blandin and clients from Club Q mass shooting commemorate the one-year mark since the tragedy

CHICAGO (November 17, 2023) – Romanucci & Blandin, LLC is proud to represent survivors and families of those whose loved ones died at the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado on November 19, 2022.  Five people died and 25 were wounded by gunfire at the LGBTQAI+ nightclub. As the one-year mark of the tragedy approaches, those impacted are processing the event in a variety of ways and wanted to share their thoughts through written statements below.

The mass shooting attorneys at Romanucci & Blandin have deep experience representing victims of mass shootings around the country and know how traumatic these events are for those involved and the people who love them. The legal team on this matter includes Romanucci & Blandin Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci, Partner David A. Neiman and Senior Attorney Sarah Raisch along with local counsel Dan Lipman of Parker Lipman. The legal team issued a statement:

“The legal team representing families who lost loved ones and individuals who were shot and wounded in Club Q on November 19, 2022 continues its work to deliver accountability through the civil justice system. As we approach the one-year mark of this tragedy, our clients are all still experiencing deep trauma from this life-changing mass shooting. In a display of great resilience and courage, many of our brave clients have become very active in advocacy for change against the use of assault weapons and to end hate crimes against the LGBTQAI+ community. We have deep respect for them and continue our fight for the accountability they deserve.”

Adriana Vance, whose son Raymond Green Vance was killed said, “My family and I have been greatly affected by the death of my son, Raymond Green Vance. I received a phone call in the morning one year ago, and I was told about the shooting and that Raymond could not be reached. Family, friends and I spent the morning searching every place we could, and then I went home to wait for more news. At around 2 p.m. I heard a knock on the door and outside stood two police officers who informed me that my son was no longer among the living. I was in total disbelief – and I still am. My best friend, my firstborn is gone forever. I have been struggling with living life without him. I keep waiting for him to walk through the front door and ask what did I cook today? But I know that will never happen again. All I have left are his pictures, videos, memories and his ashes, which I speak to every day and night. This should have never ever happened to my son or the other four precious lives taken on Nov. 19th, 2022. My heart is broken and will never be whole again. To the community, please teach your children tolerance and acceptance, teach them to love and welcome, teach them to live and let live. if you have a teenager or child who struggles with mental health do not ignore the signs. Seek professional help.”

Tiffany Loving, whose sister Kelly Loving was killed said, “This past year has been really hard, knowing I’ll never hear, see, or hug Kelly again. I get by just acting like she’s out of town. The only thing is I can’t do it pick up the phone to call. I have to look up in the sky, or when I pray, talk to her, too. This was all unexpected. I had just been on FaceTime with her hours before this happened, we laughed, she showed me her new outfits and what she was wearing that night.  I never thought that would be the last time I’d get to see her and talk to her. She was so happy to be coming home for Thanksgiving, telling me what she wanted me to cook her. Death never gets easier. Just knowing she was killed and had to die all alone, that’s what hurts the most when I think about it. I can only imagine how she was feeling, and I hate that I couldn’t be there for her. THATS WHAT HURTS ME THE MOST!!! I’ve always been the one to help her through anything, and she was the one to help me through hard times. We had one another’s back no matter what! Her death has brought me closer to my mother because that’s what Kelly would’ve wanted. It really hurts my mother that she missed Kelly’s call earlier that day. My mother thinks about that missed call all the time. She feels terrible and is so sad. Kelly was a strong person and loved helping people feel good about themselves always wanting to make people feel beautiful. You never know when God’s ready for you so be kind, love your family if you haven’t talked to them in a minute, call and tell them you love them.”

Ashtin Gamblin, who was injured in the shooting, said, “This is definitely not what I expected my life to look like right now. I was shot multiple times. My husband and I had planned on trying to have a baby this year and that’s been put on hold.  I have a lot of hesitancy now, I’m hesitant to put my kids in a public school because I’m concerned about their safety.  I don’t know that I want to bring a child into this world just to shelter them because of my fears. I am trying to change the system and make things more safe, advocating to stop LGBTQ hate crimes by educating members of the community.  We are working with our state representatives to address these issues so they can hear the stories firsthand. We need to keep the media conversation going on these issues so the community is aware, and we can finally make change. And as we hit the one-year mark on this tragedy and trauma, I certainly want to make sure the survivors are acknowledged, but far more important to me is honor those who lost their lives that night. We can never forget them.”

Jeremy Gold, whose husband was shot and injured said, “On November 19th, 2022, many individuals were struck by a horrible tragedy. This tragedy came at the cold-hearted decision and hands of a single person, who instead of taking the time to understand people and know them for who they were and are, decided to take the path of hatred and brutality. Due to this act of violence, five people died. My husband was amongst those injured, he was shot five times. As one might suspect, this began to cripple me. I felt my world had come crashing down and was flipped a complete 180. Over the coming days following the shooting, I felt overwhelming amounts of anger, fear, sadness and confusion. I was then notified of a vigil taking place where hundreds attended, not far from where my husband (along with many others) were being hospitalized. It was at that moment, I felt hope. Hope that this horrible incident did not crumble or break our community as I feared it would, as I felt it had been breaking me. I now felt a small sense of empowerment to a certain degree. I wanted to somehow, someway make a positive impact in all this.  We have the power to make a positive impact on the world as a whole; this comes every time we make the decision to show compassion and to be of help to others. No act of kindness, regardless of how small it might seem, is ever wasted. Many people (family members, friends, doctors, nurses, law enforcement and strangers alike), have all demonstrated this and much more to us. To all these people, we say from the depths of every fiber of our being, thank you. Not just thank you for helping and supporting. Though thank you, because by showing your support, you have done much more than you might have realized. Your gestures of generosity and help have provided something far more valuable than that of anything materialistic or monetary. In times of hatred, adversity and fear you have shown love, hope, and compassion. There is no greater gift than that of a community standing strong, standing together, and fighting for a common cause. No matter what happens to us, no words, no actions, not even bullets themselves, can break us. As individuals and as a community we have experienced great devastation, loss, and grief. Let’s use that going forward, not to destroy us, though instead, make us stronger. With hope, determination, and love we can and will get through anything TOGETHER.”

To learn more about the Club Q mass shooting cases please visit our Club Q page.

About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC

Romanucci & Blandin is a Chicago-based national trial practice committed to fighting for victims of negligence, abuse and wrongful death. Founded in 1998, we have decades of history securing verdicts and settlements for our clients - many for millions of dollars and others record-setting awards.  Our expertise ranges from medical malpractice and sexual abuse cases involving individual or institutional negligence to civil rights, police misconduct and workers' compensation, making Romanucci & Blandin a valuable legal resource to individuals and groups of people who have been injured by others’ wrongdoing. Referring attorneys and clients say several factors differentiate our firm: Our record of success, depth of experience, talented and dedicated legal team, tireless preparation and strategic use of communications to fight for the rights of those whose lives have been changed forever. We are different from other personal injury firms in that our work does not stop when a verdict or settlement is secured. We are often inspired by our clients’ experiences and commit resources to create change in our communities. For more information about Romanucci & Blandin, please visit www.rblaw.net or call (312) 313-7543.

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