A mass shooting in downtown Tucson, Arizona, early Saturday morning left nine people wounded and the alleged shooter in life-threatening condition, intensifying local concerns about escalating gun violence in the city's nightlife district. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. near Empire Pizza at East Congress Street and Sixth Avenue, a bustling area filled with patrons leaving bars and restaurants.
Police believe the violence began with a confrontation between two groups who knew each other, with bystanders caught in the crossfire. Authorities have not disclosed how many weapons were fired or what sparked the dispute. The alleged shooter was stopped by a Tucson police officer and sustained life-threatening injuries. All nine victims were stabilized and taken to hospitals, where they are expected to recover, according to officials.
Residents expressed growing unease about safety in the area. Roxanne Brown, a Tucson local, told Fox 10 Phoenix that the city "definitely is not as safe as it used to be" due to frequent fighting. Anais Camacho, who witnessed the shooting, recounted to KGUN 9 that she had a "gut feeling" to leave before the violence erupted. She described seeing a fight escalate when a man lifted his shirt to reveal a gun, prompting her to yell for others to run. Camacho noted that she has experienced a similar shooting at the same corner before, where three shots were fired, and routinely warns family and friends to leave before bars close after 1:30 a.m.
Empire Pizza posted on social media that two of the wounded were on its patio, but the bullets came from outside the restaurant. The business praised officers who rushed toward the shooting and began treating victims within a minute, but also issued a stark assessment of downtown security. "It breaks our hearts to see what downtown has become," the restaurant said. "There is a stronger security presence guarding our bus station than any other business in downtown."
The shooting has reignited political debate over gun control in Arizona. Democratic Tucson Mayor Regina Romero blamed the incident on weak gun safety laws. "Easy access to guns and Arizona's weak gun safety laws have continued to put all of us at risk," Romero said in a statement. She called for universal background checks, extreme risk laws, and funding for violence prevention, emphasizing that "we all deserve to be safe in all public spaces." Former Representative Gabby Giffords, a prominent gun control advocate and herself a victim of gun violence, also condemned the shooting. Giffords, who gave Arizona an "F" rating on her organization's annual Gun Law Scorecard, lamented that "the state lacks commonsense gun laws like universal background checks, gun owner licensing and red-flag laws." She added, "Arizonans should be able to go get pizza on a Saturday night without fearing the next random act of gun violence."
Republican Senate President Warren Petersen countered by arguing that the violence underscores the need for the right to self-defense, though he did not provide further details. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said her office is assisting at the scene and has dispatched victim advocates to the hospital. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities also looking into an officer-involved shooting related to the incident.
The shooting adds to a pattern of late-night violence in Tucson's downtown area, which has seen previous incidents. Residents like Camacho described the area as "rowdy" after 1:30 a.m., when alcohol-fueled disputes often escalate. The incident has left the community grappling with questions about public safety and the effectiveness of current gun policies.