Tucson mass shooting has residents concerned over ongoing rampant violence, pols debating gun rights

A downtown Tucson, Arizona, wide shooting near 9 victims wounded, the alleged shooter with life-threatening injuries, and locals acrophobic astir the Democrat-run city's late-night weapon unit having spun retired of control.

The shooting erupted astir 2 a.m. adjacent Empire Pizza astatine East Congress Street and Sixth Avenue, a engaged nightlife country filled with radical leaving bars and restaurants. Police judge the unit began with a confrontation betwixt 2 groups whose members knew each other, with bystanders caught successful the crossfire. Authorities had not said however galore weapons were fired oregon publically elaborate what started the dispute.

"Definitely it's not arsenic harmless arsenic it utilized to beryllium due to the fact that I cognize there's each kinds of warring happening," Tucson nonmigratory Roxanne Brown told Fox 10 Phoenix.

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A forensics lensman from the Tucson Police Department takes photos of the country wherever 9 radical were injured successful a shooting successful downtown Tucson aboriginal Sunday morning, July 19, 2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star)

Anais Camacho, who has seen shootings astatine the aforesaid downtown country before, said she routinely warns relatives to permission earlier the bars close.

"I had similar a gut feeling that we should permission and beauteous overmuch arsenic soon arsenic we got up, determination were immoderate guys warring and I shouldn’t person butted my butt in, but I did," Camacho told section KGUN 9. "I was like, halt warring and past instantly helium similar lifted his garment up, and I didn’t adjacent spot the gun, but I knew what that meant."

"So I yelled astatine everybody to similar tally distant similar but I conjecture I said it successful Spanish — I didn’t realize," Camacho added. "I said helium has a gun, helium has a weapon and cipher similar moved and I had to similar drawback my relative and we dipped and arsenic soon arsenic we bent the corner, shots fired."

Camacho she knows first-hand of the "rowdy" late-night unit there.

"I ever archer my household and friends this: Once we’re retired astatine 1:30 a.m., let’s spell location due to the fact that aft 1:30 radical ever commencement fighting," she told the section station. "People get drunk, they privation pizza, and it ever happens close present successful this enactment oregon successful this country successful this corner. I’ve been done different shooting the nonstop aforesaid mode close present connected this country and past clip they fto retired 3 shots, truthful I benignant of knew erstwhile radical get rowdy, spell home, you know."

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Evidence markers laic adjacent items of covering arsenic portion of the Tucson Police Department probe wherever 9 radical were injured successful a shooting successful downtown Tucson aboriginal Sunday morning, July 19, 2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star)

Empire Pizza said successful a connection posted to societal media that 2 of the wounded radical were connected its patio but that the bullets came from extracurricular the restaurant. The concern praised officers who rushed toward the shooting and began treating victims wrong astir a minute, but besides issued a stark appraisal of information downtown.

"It breaks our hearts to spot what downtown has become," the edifice said. "There is simply a stronger information beingness guarding our autobus presumption than immoderate different concern successful downtown."

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Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., and her hubby Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., are calling retired the state's deficiency of weapon power aft a downtown Tucson late-night play shooting. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

Democratic Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and erstwhile Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz. – woman to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and herself a unfortunate of weapon unit – are blaming the deficiency of weapon power for the diminution successful nationalist safety.

"Easy entree to guns and Arizona’s anemic weapon information laws person continued to enactment each of america astatine risk," Romero said successful a statement. "From requiring cosmopolitan inheritance checks to utmost hazard laws to backing unit prevention determination is much lawmakers tin and should do. We each merit to beryllium harmless successful each nationalist spaces, successful our schools, successful our homes, successful our buying malls, and successful our places of worship."

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Romero thanked the officers for stopping the shooter before.

"Last night, Tucson experienced different superior and senseless enactment of weapon violence," her connection began. "A shooter recklessly began shooting successful a crowded country striking 9 radical earlier being stopped by a Tucson Police Officer. Thanks to the speedy actions and fantabulous attraction provided by our occurrence fighters and constabulary officers, each victims were stabilized and taken to the infirmary wherever we are hopeful they volition each recover."

"As we each cognize excessively well, the interaction resulting from this enactment of weapon unit reaches beyond the country and the victims," Romero continued. "It affects each of us: household and friends, archetypal responders, the witnesses, our full community. We cognize these moments permission a lasting content connected america and our consciousness of safety. For the victims, you person my prayers for healing and a speedy recovery. To the archetypal responders, you person my gratitude. To our community, articulation america successful taking enactment against weapon unit and helping the victims and those affected by weapon unit to heal."

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Giffords, a starring weapon power advocate, has fixed the authorities an "F" standing on GIFFORDS’ Annual Gun Law Scorecard, and lamented that "the authorities lacks commonsense weapon laws similar cosmopolitan inheritance checks, weapon proprietor licensing and red-flag laws."

"It is particularly alarming to spot different wide shooting successful my hometown," she wrote successful a connection Sunday. "As we await much information, what I cognize is this: Arizonans should beryllium capable to spell get pizza connected a Saturday nighttime without fearing the adjacent random enactment of weapon violence. Arizona continues to person laws that marque it casual for unsafe radical to entree guns — the clip to enactment is now."

Pima County authorities, inactive successful the unresolved hunt for Nancy Guthrie, are present investigating the officer-involved shooting.

"Our elder enactment is inactive assisting astatine the wide shooting downtown this morning, and a squad of unfortunate advocates has been dispatched to the infirmary wherever we are hopeful that each 9 shooting victims whitethorn survive" Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said.

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Republican Senate President Warren Petersen said the unit lone highlights the request for the close for radical to carnivore arms for self-defense.

"As this calamity reminds us, evil exists, which is wherefore we stay steadfast successful supporting instrumentality enforcement and the law rights of law-abiding Arizonans to support themselves and others," Petersen wrote successful a statement, according to KGUN. "We are praying for the betterment of those who were injured, for comfortableness for the families affected, and for justness to beryllium served."