Tucson leaders and community groups are condemning targeted gun violence and homophobia after police confirmed Monday’s early-morning fatal shootings outside a midtown gay bar is being investigated as a hate crime.
Jorge Santos sits by a memorial Monday afternoon outside of the Venture-N where Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33, were shot and killed hours earlier in the parking lot. A gunman killed the two men and also died, Tucson police say. Santos was friends with Siqueiros and had recently met Capara.
On Monday afternoon, the Tucson Police Department said the suspect, 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, had a note with several LGBTQIA+ associated businesses written on it when he approached Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara and fatally shot them outside of the Venture-N. The suspect also died in the apparent murder-suicide.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said the shooting appeared to be a “tragic and isolated incident.”
"No one should fear being targeted simply because of who they are and where they gather. I speak in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community," Conover, the county's top prosecutor, said in a statement Monday night.
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Pima County Attorney Laura Conover
"At this point, the shooting appears to be a tragic and isolated incident, and because all known suspects are deceased, there will likely be no prosecution to follow. Nevertheless, we have full confidence that the Tucson Police Department will thoroughly investigate what appears to be a hate-fueled attack,” she said.
Conover said Victims Services advocates are available to help those affected by the shooting at (520) 724-5525.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero called the shooting a “devastating attack on our LGBTQ+ community,” and called for gun reform, in a video shared to social media.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero
“This tragedy serves as yet another painful reminder that homophobia is still rampant in our country. We must implement smarter policies to prevent mass shootings and keep our communities safe. Easy access to firearms and Arizona’s weak gun safety laws continue to put all of us at risk,” she said.
The killings took place in Councilmember Miranda Schubert’s Ward 6. She said the shooting hit close to home for her as a queer person.
“It makes me feel absolutely sick because it just shows that we’re living in a political climate that has made it a little bit more permissible to inflict problematic beliefs on other people,” Schubert told the Arizona Daily Star. “I think this is a moment to look for ways to be able to stand together and make ourselves bigger, not shrink in fear.”
Councilmember Miranda Schubert
Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz, another queer member of the Tucson City Council, said they were “heartbroken” over the incident and said LGBTQ+ individuals are disproportionately impacted by gun violence.
Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz
“Venture-N is a small, beloved neighborhood LGBTQ+ bar with a tight-knit community of regulars and friends. My heart goes out to the victims’ loved ones, and to the entire Venture-N staff, customers, and neighborhood grieving right now,” Santa Cruz said in a social media statement.
Tucson Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva used her time on the U.S. House floor Monday night to commemorate the victims. She called on House members to pass gun safety reforms as its first action back after three weeks in their home districts.
U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva
“This horrific attack is a painful reminder that even in welcoming communities like Tucson, hate and violence against our LGBTQIA+ community still exist," Grijalva said. "When the hate is combined with easy access to firearms, the consequences can be deadly.
"I am sick and tired of Congress refusing to lift a finger to protect our communities, while every day dozens of people are shot and killed across this country. It does not have to be this way,” Grijalva said.
Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair Jen Allen called the shooting “senseless and shocking.”
"The Venture-N is a quiet neighborhood bar whose clientele are mostly gay men. Pima County is a diverse and loving community that embraces the LGBTQIA+ community and values respect, dignity, and inclusion of all people," Allen said. "I am certain the compassionate people of Pima County will show our love and support to the friends and family of the murdered, to the patrons of the Venture-N, and to all those who may be feeling fearful from this hateful crime. There is no place for hate in Pima County."
The Southern Arizona Aids Foundation encouraged anyone struggling with grief or trauma from the shooting to contact it for help.
“Violence against our community affects all of us. Places like Venture-N are more than businesses. They are places where people find friendship, chosen family, safety, and belonging,” the foundation told its social media followers.
The nonprofit Tucson Queerstory has planned a vigil for the victims Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Catalina Park, 41 N. Fourth Ave.
Tim Steller’s column: Laid-back Tucson bar community torn up by attack
