Ten people were injured — including the suspected shooter — after gunfire broke out in the early morning hours Sunday in a crowded commercial district near downtown Tucson, Arizona, according to police.
Officers conducting routine foot patrols heard the shots around 2 a.m. local time and moved toward the gunfire, where they came face-to-face with a suspect. After issuing “repeated commands” that went unheeded, the officers opened fire on the individual, according to Tucson Police Department spokesperson Frank Magos.
The officers provided first aid to the wounded suspect before he was transported to a nearby hospital. Magos told reporters at a briefing close to the scene that the suspect arrived at the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Before police reached the scene, nine other individuals had already been struck by gunfire. All nine were taken to hospitals in critical condition, with many suffering wounds to their arms and legs. Magos confirmed that all victims were adults and that no officers were hurt in the incident.
Authorities did not provide an official explanation for what sparked the violence, though it unfolded as large numbers of people were out on the streets. “It’s very vibrant here, very lively crowd,” Magos said.
Local television station KGUN-TV, an ABC affiliate, reported — citing police sources — that the shooting stemmed from a confrontation between two groups of people who knew one another, and that bystanders were caught in the crossfire.
Mayor Regina Romero released a statement quoted by KGUN, saying: “A shooter recklessly began shooting in a crowded area striking nine people before being stopped by a Tucson Police officer.” She added, “All victims were stabilized and taken to the hospital where we are hopeful they will all recover.”
Sunday’s shooting in Tucson — Arizona’s second-largest city — pushed the total number of mass shootings in the United States to 257 for the year so far, based on data from the Gun Violence Archive. That online database tracks gun violence incidents daily using information from law enforcement agencies, media outlets, and other sources. The archive classifies a mass shooting as any gun violence event in which at least four people are injured or killed.
