Tucson police officers are being praised for their quick response following a mass shooting in downtown Tucson as calls for action are simultaneously being made by public officials.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and sitting Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva joined Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Pima County Attorney Laura Conover in lauding Tucson's first responders, who were already patrolling in the area and ran toward the sound of gunshots.
The officers rendered aid to the nine victims before they were taken in critical condition to a hospital. The suspect was taken into custody after being shot by one of the officers.
Evidence markers lay near items of clothing as part of the Tucson Police Department investigation where nine people were injured in a shooting in downtown Tucson early Sunday morning. A man was taken into custody.
A confrontation between two groups on a crowded downtown corner outside of a business preceded the shooting, which occurred Sunday around 2 a.m., Tucson police say.
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Giffords, who was shot in the head in an assassination attempt in Tucson in January 2011 that left six dead and 12 others wounded, said she was "heartbroken" by Sunday's news.
"Too many lives have been changed forever because of America’s gun violence crisis, in my hometown and across the nation. Mark and I are grateful for the bravery of Tucson’s first responders as we await more information and hold all those impacted in our hearts," she said, referencing her husband, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly.
Conover's office is assisting with the investigation and deployed victim advocates to the hospital.
"There will be more information shared by the department and by our office as information develops, but I need to take a moment to stop and thank the officers of the Tucson Police Department who responded so quickly and effectively in a great time of need and for all the staff at the hospital now doing everything possible to keep our community members alive," Conover said in a written statement.
Romero was joined by state Rep. Mariana Sandoval in thanking first responders while also calling for reforms.
"Easy access to guns and Arizona’s weak gun safety laws have continued to put all of us at risk," Romero said. "From requiring universal background checks to extreme risk laws to funding violence prevention there is more lawmakers can and should do.
"We all deserve to be safe in all public spaces, in our schools, in our homes, in our shopping malls, and in our places of worship."
Toward that end, Sandoval, a Democrat, said she is "committed to working with anyone willing to pursue practical, responsible measures that make our communities safer while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners."
"While we cannot prevent every act of violence, we can take common-sense steps to reduce the risk and save lives," she said. "Arizona must do more to keep guns out of the hands of people who pose a danger, invest in violence prevention, enact universal background checks, establish common-sense gun reform and support community-based efforts that help stop violence before it happens.
"The victims of gun violence deserve more than thoughts and prayers after each tragedy. They deserve action."
State Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, D-Tucson, agreed with Sandoval, calling the mass shooting "another stark and tragic reminder that gun violence is a public health crisis in our country.
"Our thoughts are with those who were injured and hopefully on their way to recovery. And our brave police and first responders deserve our immense gratitude for a quick response that no doubt saved lives.
"But here is the bottom line: Gun violence and mass-casualty shootings do not have to be a fact of life in my city or anywhere in the country."
Gutierrez said that despite support from the vast majority of Arizonans for "common-sense" gun violence prevention legislation, she said such measures are "consistently blocked by the Republican majority."
"If we want to keep our communities and families safe, we need Republicans to work with us, for once, to put their constituents ahead of the D.C. gun lobby and stop putting Arizonans’ lives at risk every day," Gutierrez said.
Arizona's Senate Republican Caucus called Sunday's events a "senseless act of violence," and described the officers' actions as courageous.
"Our hearts are with every victim, every family, and the Tucson community," Senate President Warren Petersen said on the caucus' behalf.
"As this tragedy reminds us, evil exists, which is why we remain steadfast in supporting law enforcement and the constitutional rights of law-abiding Arizonans to protect themselves and others. We are praying for the recovery of those who were injured, for comfort for the families affected, and for justice to be served."
Congresswoman Grijalva, who calls Tucson home, said she is "keeping the victims and our entire community in my thoughts."
"A night out should never end in bloodshed," she said in a statement. "Congress has failed for far too long to act while communities continue to bear the devastating cost of gun violence.
"We cannot continue to let the gun lobby dictate our gun laws while cities like Tucson pay the price. Congress must do its job, pass common sense gun safety reform, and protect our communities."
