Gay Bar Shooting in Tucson Kills Two, Investigated as Hate Crime

Two men were shot and killed outside a Tucson gay bar; the suspected gunman also died. Police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.

Two Killed Outside Tucson Gay Bar in Suspected Hate Crime Attack

Arizona police are investigating a shooting at a Tucson gay bar as a possible hate crime, ABC News US reports. Two patrons were killed in the parking lot of Venture-N shortly after midnight on Monday; the suspected gunman died later at a local hospital.

Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33, were shot outside the bar and pronounced dead at the scene, the Tucson Police Department said. The suspect, Ousman Ceesay, 44, died at a local hospital from his injuries.

Investigators found a note on Ceesay's person listing several LGBTQIA+-associated businesses. Initial evidence indicates he confronted the two victims in the parking lot before opening fire on both of them.

Police said no active threat to the broader community has been identified, but the department has expanded its presence around other gay-friendly businesses in the Tucson area as a precautionary measure.

"Bias-based crimes are especially heinous and have no place in our community," Chief of Police Monica Prieto said. "Our investigators are thoroughly examining the evidence and pursuing all available leads as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding this tragic incident."

Authorities have not confirmed whether Ceesay was known to either victim.

By Tuesday, a growing memorial of flowers, candles and photographs had appeared outside Venture-N. Community organizations including Tucson Queerstory, Southern Arizona Senior Pride and the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation announced plans for a candlelight vigil Wednesday night at a local park.

PFLAG Phoenix described the bar as "a safe haven, a sanctuary, and a place of comfort for Tucson's queer community for decades," adding in a social media post that the attack was "a heavy and painful reminder of the homophobia and hate that still exists."

The shooting drew reactions from LGBTQIA+ organizations across the country, with many drawing comparisons to previous fatal attacks on queer spaces — among them the July 2024 stabbing at Berlin Pride and the November 2022 shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, which left five people dead. NYC Pride noted on social media that June 12 marked the ninth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, in which 49 people were killed and 53 wounded.

"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 wrote on Instagram.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero called the attack "a direct and devastating attack on our LGBTQ+ community, another senseless act of gun violence." In a video posted to Facebook, Romero said the shooting "serves as another painful reminder that homophobia is still rampant in our country."

The investigation remains ongoing.

Source: ABC News US