Gunman Wounds 9 in Downtown Tucson Entertainment District, Shot by Police After Fleeing

A gunman opened fire in downtown Tucson's entertainment district early Sunday morning, wounding nine people before a police officer shot him as he tried to flee, according to the Tucson Police Department.

The shooting happened around 2 a.m. in the 100 block of East Congress Street, a stretch of downtown packed with bars, restaurants and nightlife, according to Fox News. Officers patrolling the area on foot heard multiple gunshots and moved in immediately.

They found a man running away from the scene. TPD says the suspect ignored repeated commands to stop. A uniformed officer then fired, striking him. He was taken into custody, given first aid, and transported by Tucson Fire Department personnel to a hospital in life-threatening condition. His identity has not been released.

Nine victims were shot, mostly in the arms and legs, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said in a statement. No one died. Romero credited fast work by police and fire crews for stabilizing everyone at the scene.

"Last night, Tucson experienced another serious and senseless act of gun violence," Romero said, according to Fox News. "A shooter recklessly began shooting in a crowded area striking nine people before being stopped by a Tucson Police Officer."

No officers were hurt. All nine wounded were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

Two Investigations, Two Different Questions

Because an officer fired his weapon and struck the suspect, this is now technically two cases running side by side.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting itself, standard practice for outside review of police use of force. Separately, TPD will run its own internal review to determine whether any department policy was violated when the officer fired.

An officer stopped an active shooter mid-rampage with no other officers or bystanders hit in the exchange. Whether the shooting was justified under department policy and Arizona law is still an open question that hasn't been publicly answered, and it shouldn't be assumed either way before Pima County finishes its work.

No motive has been released. No charges have been announced. The suspect's condition and identity remain unconfirmed publicly as of this writing.

Part of a Bigger Weekend

Tucson wasn't alone. The same weekend saw gunfire tear through a Latin street festival in Toronto, leaving at least two dead and several wounded, according to Fox News. Toledo police were separately hunting a second suspect after naming Ka Nye Taylor in a festival shooting that injured 12 people.

Three mass-casualty shootings were tied to crowded public gatherings within days of each other, spanning two countries. None of the source reporting available connects these incidents or suggests a common cause. The pattern of gunfire hitting festivals, entertainment districts and public gatherings in quick succession will likely draw attention from lawmakers on both sides of the gun debate, for very different reasons.

Gun-rights advocates will point out that it was an armed, trained police officer who stopped the Tucson shooter from doing more damage, not a gun-free zone or a policy restricting who can carry. Gun-control advocates will point to the sheer number of people hit in each of these incidents as evidence that access to firearms in crowded public spaces needs tighter scrutiny.

What Happens Next

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not released a timeline for its review of the officer-involved shooting. TPD's internal policy review is also ongoing with no announced completion date.

The suspect's name, his condition, and any charges he may eventually face have not been made public. Whether he acted alone, what weapon was used, and what led up to the shooting remain unanswered questions that Tucson police have not addressed in public statements so far.

For now, nine people are recovering from gunshot wounds in Tucson hospitals, a downtown nightlife district is dealing with the aftermath of gunfire in the middle of the night, and a mayor who called it "senseless" is waiting, like everyone else, on two separate investigations to finish their work.