A confrontation between two groups of people erupted into gunfire in downtown Tucson early Sunday morning, leaving nine victims wounded and a suspect shot by police, according to the Tucson Police Department.
The shooting broke out around 2 a.m. near 6th Avenue and Congress Street, an area filled with bars and restaurants that draws large weekend crowds. Officers patrolling nearby heard the gunfire and ran toward the scene, where they found a man fleeing on foot.
Police say the man ignored repeated commands to stop, and an officer opened fire, striking him. He was taken into custody, given first aid, and rushed to a hospital in life-threatening condition.
Nine other people were hurt in the chaos, mostly suffering gunshot wounds to their arms and legs. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said officials are hopeful that all of the wounded will survive. Police noted that the two groups involved in the dispute were already known to each other before the shooting started.
Witness Describes Panic Outside Pizza Shop
Anais Camacho was near Empire Pizza with her family around 1 a.m. when she saw an argument break out between the groups just outside the restaurant. She said one man lifted his shirt, and although she never saw a weapon, she immediately understood what was happening and pulled her relatives away.
Moments after they turned the corner, shots rang out. Two of the people injured in the shooting had been sitting on the pizza shop’s patio, according to a statement the business posted online. Camacho said she felt relieved that her entire family made it out safely.
Mayor Calls for Tougher Gun Laws
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero condemned the violence in a statement Sunday, calling it another senseless act of gun violence in the city.
She thanked police and firefighters for stabilizing the victims quickly and pointed to what she described as weak state gun laws, arguing that lawmakers should expand background checks and adopt extreme risk protections to prevent future shootings.
No officers were hurt during the incident. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, while Tucson police will run a separate internal review to determine whether any department policies were broken. Once complete, the findings will go to the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
This marks the tenth officer-involved shooting reported in the Tucson area this year and the fifty-second across Arizona statewide. Investigators are asking anyone with information or video of the shooting to contact 88 CRIME, and tips can remain anonymous.
