The defensive and selfless action of military veteran Richard Fierro when a gunman opened fire at a gay club in And Colorado Springs is being praised by the country's oldest Latino civil rights organization.

Richard Fierro, 45, was at Club Q celebrating a birthday with his wife, daughter and friends when he decided to be one of two people who subdued the assailant who was armed with an AR-15 style rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest.

According to NBCNews, “The League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, is awarding him its presidential medal and $5,000 for his actions that helped bring down the shooter who killed five people at Club Q in Colorado Springs”.

“We hear so many politicians scapegoating and attacking the LGBTQ community and immigrants, and here we have true American heroes who stood up against hate and protected their family and other patrons”, LULAC President Domingo Garcia said.

NBC News reported “that Fierro was at Club Q with his family when the attack began. He said he did what he was trained to do as a 15-year Army veteran who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has said he's not proud of himself because there are people who were not able to go home that night”.

Richard Fierro managed to pull the guns out of the shooter’s hands and hit him with his own assailant’s pistol, according to his wife Jessica. Thomas James is another identified person who helped subdue the shooter.

“Fierro was twice decorated with the Bronze Star — awarded to members of the military who demonstrate heroism, outstanding achievement or meritorious service while in combat not involving aerial flight”, according to NBC.

Some of the founders of LULAC, established in 1929, were Mexican American military veterans who, among other things, were fighting discrimination, including inequity in Latino veterans' military benefits.

Fierro and his wife are members of the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, due to the brewery founded by Jessica Fierro and run by the family. Atrevida Beer Co. is dedicated to a celebration of diversity. According to the beer company's website, the company motto is, ‘Diversity, it's on tap!’, which is displayed on its marquee and its merchandise”, according to NBC.

“The brewery created a brew, dubbed Christopher Street, dedicated to the annual pride parade. The brewery has participated in the march since its opening, the company website states. The brewery also has a limited brew for the Pink Boots Society, [which assists, inspires and educates women in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry], along with brews dedicated to Juneteenth and Latina civil rights icon Dolores Huerta”.

Richard Fierro said LULAC invited him and his family to Washington, D.C., to receive the award or would hand it over to him at a ceremony in Colorado Springs.