The Navy honored Thomas James, a fourth-generation veteran from West Virginia, for risking his life to save others on the night of the Club Q shooting that killed five people in Colorado Springs last year.
The information technician received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal during a ceremony on Thursday— this medal is "the highest non-combat decoration the Navy can award for heroism," according to a release from the Navy.
On Nov. 19, 2022, James confronted the shooter who opened fire inside the LGBTQ+ nightclub, "grabbing the barrel of the weapon and sustaining a gunshot wound to his abdomen and burns to his hands," the Navy said.
With the help of another person— Richard Fierro, an Army veteran— James then restrained the shooter, preventing further harm until police arrived, per the Navy's release.
The Navy's statement also says James continued his heroism later in the night, as "he gave up his seat in an ambulance so another injured person could be cared for and transported to a local hospital."
Rear Adm. Scott Robertson, director of Plans, Policy and Strategy for North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, awarded the medal to James on behalf of the Navy. In a speech, Robertson said he'd asked James why he did what he did: "[James] said, ‘I wanted to buy time for my friends. I wanted to protect my community.’”
Robertson also described James as "kind, professional and humble."
Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, Derrick Rump and Raymond Green lost their lives in the Club Q shooting. 22 others were injured.
The shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole for murder— along with 2,208 years for attempted murder— in June of this year.
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