The shooting at the popular Club Q took place around 11:30 p.m. local time Saturday and wounded at least 18 people, authorities said. The 22-year-old suspect was located inside the club and was arrested. Witnesses and police said some people inside Club Q helped to subdue the suspect until officers arrived.
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"It's hard to put into words. It's a really heavy day for our community," said West Hollywood resident Jude Greeno, who attended the memorial. "Thoughts and prayers aren't enough at this point. We need to do something. Our brothers and sisters are getting killed."
The motive remains under investigation.
Los Angeles County Sheriff-elect Robert Luna also attended the vigil.
Gay nightclub shooting: 5 killed, at least 18 injured at Club Q in Colorado Springs, police say
"Can you imagine the folks that were injured or killed? They just went out to go have fun," Luna told reporters. "All you want to do is be safe when you go out there. So our priority, number one, for us, is to keep people safe."
"Gun violence continues to have a devastating and particular impact on LGBTQI+ communities across our nation, and threats of violence are increasing," President Joe Biden said in a statement Sunday afternoon. "Places that are supposed to be safe spaces of acceptance and celebration should never be turned into places of terror and violence," Biden continued. "Yet it happens far too often. We must drive out the inequities that contribute to violence against LGBTQI+ people. We cannot and must not tolerate hate."
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Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn tweeted: "5 innocent people dead and dozens injured. My heart breaks for the families & friends of the victims in Colorado Springs and the LGBTQ community who are seeing their worst fears of the consequences of hateful rhetoric play out in real time* on #TransDayOfRemembrance no less."
In 2016, a shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killed 49 people and wounded another 53. That shooter was fatally shot by police.