Tucson police are investigating a shooting that killed three people outside a gay bar as a possible hate crime. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Monday at the Venture-N bar.
Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33, were found dead in the bar's parking lot. The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, died at a local hospital. According to a police news release, Ceesay was in possession of a note listing several LGBTQIA+-associated businesses. Initial evidence suggests Ceesay confronted the two victims before opening fire.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have increased police presence around other LGBTQ+-friendly establishments in the area. Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto stated that bias-based crimes are considered particularly heinous and have no place in the community. Investigators are examining evidence to determine the full circumstances of the shooting.
Details regarding whether Ceesay knew Siqueiros and Capara have not been released by the police department.
Community members gathered at the Venture-N on Tuesday to place flowers, candles, and photos, creating a memorial for the victims. Several LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups, including Tucson Queerstory, Southern Arizona Senior Pride, and the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, were planning a candlelight vigil.
"Venture-N has been a safe haven, a sanctuary, and a place of comfort for Tucson's queer community for decades," PFLAG Phoenix said in a social media post. "This tragedy is a heavy and painful reminder of the homophobia and hate that still exists."
The shooting has resonated with members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies nationwide, bringing to mind other fatal attacks. These include an incident at a Pride event in Berlin in July and the 2022 shooting at a nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which resulted in five deaths. The 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, where 49 people were killed, also falls on June 12.
"Our bars, clubs, and local gathering spots are meant to be safe spaces for our community. Tragedies like this are a painful reminder that too often, they are not," NYC Pride stated on Instagram.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero described the shooting as a "direct and devastating attack on our LGBTQ+ community, another senseless act of gun violence." She added that the incident serves as "another painful reminder that homophobia is still rampant in our country."