COLORADO SPRINGS — Hundreds of people sat and stood shoulder to shoulder Sunday afternoon inside All Souls Unitarian Church in downtown Colorado Springs with dozens of others gathered outside along the sidewalk. 

Gov. Jared Polis spoke virtually to the crowd and said his heart breaks for the victims and families of those affected by the shooting. He expressed his “immense gratitude” for the clubgoers who confronted the gunman, whom he called “heroes.”

“More people are alive today and more people returned home because of their heroic actions,” Polis said.

First Gentleman Marlon Reis called the shooting an attack on Colorado’s values and freedoms.

“Every single one of us deserves to feel safe in our communities. And last night wasn’t just an attack on an LGBTQ+ nightclub, it was an attack on the very values that we hold most dear across our state and across our country. It was an  attack on freedom,” Reis said. “Colorado should be a place where every person can live their life in peace, be who they are, love who they want to love. And we will settle for nothing less.”

Read more at ColoradoSun.com.