As he lay bleeding from a gunshot wound in a state of fear and confusion at a Colorado Springs nightclub, James Slaugh treasures the moment a gray-haired stranger with glasses told him he was going to live and kissed him on the forehead.

“To me, that made all of the difference. That was when I first got teary-eyed,” said Slaugh, 34, from his bed at Colorado Springs’ Penrose Hospital Tuesday.

Fundraising response for Club Q victims, families described as ‘generous’

He and his boyfriend, John Carlos, also 34, went to Club Q Saturday night to bring some comfort and a few laughs to his older sister Charlotte Slaugh, who had just broken up with her girlfriend.

The three were just leaving the nightclub when James Slaugh heard four pops and was shot in the arm from behind. As he was fumbling with his uninjured right hand to grab his phone and call for help, the shots went eerily quiet.

“The silence certainly was the scariest part because I didn’t know if the guy was reloading or if there was another gun,” he said on a Zoom session from Penrose Hospital.

A surreal moment followed, he added, when the loudness of the shots stopped but techno music coming from the dance floor kept going as people were lying on the floor and survivors were starting to stir. 

He said that he lost friends in the shooting and saw Club Q as a safe space where he “figured out who I was and understood my sexuality.” 

Pride flag to unfurl Wednesday to honor Club Q victims in Colorado Springs

Slaugh’s humerus was shattered in the attack and Carlos was hit in the leg, but of the three, Charlotte got the worst of it. She was shot as many as 13 times according to their GoFundMe page, which required 8 hours of surgery. After a second operation, the 35 year-old is recovering.

The family could use some financial help. Charlotte Slaugh, whom James describes as a fighter, works for an auto mechanic and he sells auto insurance. They both live in Colorado Springs.

“That would be extremely helpful if everybody could do what they can,” he said.

The brother and sister are 18 months apart and have lived in Colorado Springs for half of their lives. James went to Palmer High School and Charlotte attended Mitchell. 

Three days after what was likely the worst night of his life, Slaugh has heard from old and new friends and has been uplifted by positive messages from people all over the world. The yin-yang experience has shown him that for one bad person, there are billions of good people.

“I took a bullet, yes, but that bullet is never going to be as powerful as that love.”

Club Q shooting survivor smiles through tragedy: ‘I’m happy to be alive’