>>> WELCOME BACK TO "GMA3." THE SHOOTING AT A COLORADO SPRINGS LGBTQ NIGHT CLUB LESS THAN THREE WEEKS LEFT FIVE PEOPLE DEAD AND MANY MORE INJURED. ON TUESDAY, THE ALLEGED GUNMAN WAS CHARGED WITH 305 CRIMINAL COUNTS, INCLUDING FIRST DEGREE MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER, AND BIASED MOTIVATED CRIMES. >> THE FOUNDING OWNER OF CLUB Q. MATTHEW HAYNES, FIRST, WELCOME TO "GMA3" AND THANKS FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. YOU WERE NOT AT THE CLUB WHEN IT HAPPENED. BUT TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT FROM, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS TRAGIC INCIDENT. >> CERTAINLY. I WAS THERE WITHIN ABOUT SIX MINUTES OF IT HAPPENING. SO, WE GOT THE NOTIFICATION THAT THERE WAS GUNSHOTS. FIRST WE OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN JUST ONE OR TWO GUNSHOTS. SO, WE ARRIVED ON SCENE AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED HELPING THE POLICE AND ALSO ALL THE VICTIMS THAT WERE COMING OUT AND ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AND THEN JUST BASICALLY FROM THEN ON IT'S JUST BEEN ONE BIG LOGISTICS AND SUPPORT OPERATION FROM US. >> THAT HAD TO BE A HORRIFIC SCENE TO WALK INTO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. >> IT'S -- YES. IT'S CERTAINLY UNBELIEVABLE. SIX YEARS AGO, WE STOOD IN OUR PARKING LOT FOR A VIGIL FOR PULSE, THE VICTIMS OF PULSE. WE RAISED MONEY FOR THEM. NEVER DID WE THINK THAT OUR LITTLE BAR WOULD BE A TARGET OF THIS SORT OF CRIME. >> THE SUSPECT WAS CHARGED WITH 305 CRIMINAL COUNTS THIS WEEK, INCLUDING FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND BIASED MOTIVATED CRIMES. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THOSE CHARGES? >> THOSE ARE EXTREMELY POSITIVE. IT SHOWS -- 305 COUNTS SHOW HOW HEINOUS THIS ACT WAS.██PIT SHOW. IT SHOWS HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TRULY BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS. AND THE FACT THAT OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY ALLEN IS WILLING TO PROSECUTE THIS MUCH SHOWS HOW FAR THE CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS HAS COME AND HOW SERIOUSLY THESE THINGS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WISH THAT THAT WAS THE CASE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. SO, WE'VE BEEN VERY PROUD OF THE WAY COLORADO SPRINGS HAS HANDLED THIS THUS FAR. BUT WHEN 40 OF THOSE COUNTS ARE CLEARLY HATE RELATED, THE BIAS ONES ARE STATE STATUTES FOR HATE, IT SHOWS THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK. THERE'S STILL A LOT OF HATE OUT THERE. AND WHEN YOU END UP WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS SUCH HATE AND ACCESS TO THE WEAPONS THEY DID, THIS IS WHAT ENDED UP IN OUR TINY COMMUNITY BAR. >> MATTHEW, YOU'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. YOU OPENED THIS PLACE 20 YEARS AGO. IT'S CONSIDERED AI SAFE HAVEN IN THAT AREA FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER PLACE TO GO BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY FEEL AND WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND THE RIGHTS THAT THEY WANT FOR THEMSELVES. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PLACE FOR THAT COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY A CONSERVATIVE COMMUNITY? >> SURE. 20 YEARS AGO WHEN WE OPENED UP IN COLORADO SPRINGS, IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE. WE HAD A REPUTATION AS THE HATE STATE. THERE WOULD BE PICKETERS OUTSIDE AS WE OPENED UP. AND THROUGH THE YEARS, THE COMMUNITY HAS GOTTEN STRONGER AND SUPPORT FOR US HAS GOTTEN STRONGER. BUT THESE SORT OF BARS ARE STILL NEEDED. WE STILL HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT COME IN THAT HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT OF THEIR HOMES, THAT ARE FEELING DIFFERENT ABOUT THEMSELVES. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE FEELING, AND THEY'RE BEING OSTRACIZED FROM THEIR FRIEND GROUPS. AND THIS IS WHERE THEY COME AND CAN SIT AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND QUICKLY MAKE FRIENDS. SO, RATHER THAN JUST A BAR WHERE YOU POP IN, HAVE A BEER, THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN AND IT'S AN EXTENSION OF EVERYONE'S LIVING ROOM. VERY QUICKLY YOU MAKE FRIENDS. VERY QUICKLY YOU'RE INTRODUCED TO PEOPLE. AND VERY QUICKLY YOU CAN FIND THE SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED. MANY TIMES, DERRICK, ONE OF THE BARTENDERS THAT WAS KILLED, HE WOULD TAKE SOMEBODY HOME OR GIVE THEM A LIFT OR POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, LOAN THEM MONEY. I'VE SEEN HIM DO THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. AND DANIEL WAS JUST AS COMPASSIONATE. SO, THOSE GUYS DIDN'T GO TO WORK. THEY JUST WENT TO WHAT THEIR LIFE WAS. >> KUDOS TO YOU FOR STAYING IN THAT COMMUNITY WHEN YOU FIRST AT FIRST DID NOT FEEL WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE