Deadly midtown Tucson shooting investigated as hate crime

For people who gather at LGBTQIA+ businesses in midtown Tucson, a familiar neighborhood bar became the scene of a deadly attack early Monday morning. Two men were killed outside Venture-N, at 1239 N. 6th Ave., and police are investigating the shooting as a hate crime. The suspected shooter also died after being taken to a hospital, leaving three people dead and an LGBTQIA+ community grappling with fear, grief and uncertainty.

Tucson Police Department and Tucson Fire Department crews responded shortly after midnight on Aug. 31 after receiving reports of gunfire at the business. Officers from Operation Division West found three adult men with gunshot wounds. Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33, were pronounced dead at the scene. Their next of kin have been notified. Police identified the suspected shooter as 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, who was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and died shortly after arriving.

According to the initial investigation, Ceesay confronted Siqueiros and Capara in the Venture-N parking lot before shooting them. Police said Ceesay had a note listing several businesses associated with the LGBTQIA+ community. That discovery is central to the department’s decision to investigate the shooting as a bias-motivated crime. Authorities have not released additional details about what led to the confrontation, how the men knew one another, or the circumstances surrounding Ceesay’s fatal injuries.

The Venture-N has been described by Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair Jennifer Allen as a quiet neighborhood bar whose clientele is mostly gay men. Allen said the killings were shocking and senseless, and expressed sympathy for the victims’ relatives, friends, patrons and others who may now feel afraid. She said Pima County is a diverse community that values respect, dignity and inclusion, and that there is no place for hate in the county.

Police Chief Monica Prieto said investigators are examining evidence and pursuing all available leads to establish what happened. Detectives from the Homicide Unit, Robbery Assault Unit and Crime Scene Unit are involved in the active investigation. Prieto called bias-based crimes especially heinous and said they have no place in Tucson. She also acknowledged that the shooting could cause fear and pain, particularly among LGBTQIA+ residents and people who spend time at similar venues.

The department said there is no known active threat to the public. Even so, Tucson police have increased their presence around LGBTQIA+ establishments and are working with community organizations to provide support. That response is intended to reassure people who may be concerned about visiting bars, gathering spaces and other venues connected to the LGBTQIA+ community while detectives continue reviewing the evidence.

Mayor Regina Romero described the shooting as a direct attack on Tucson’s LGBTQIA+ community. She said police investigators had confirmed that the suspected shooter possessed addresses for multiple LGBTQIA+-friendly venues and intended to cause more harm. Romero connected the tragedy to the continuing presence of homophobia in the country and called for policies aimed at preventing mass shootings and improving public safety. She also criticized what she described as easy access to firearms and weak gun safety laws in Arizona.

Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said the community felt under attack upon learning that violence had occurred outside what is normally considered a welcoming and safe environment. She said no one should fear being targeted because of who they are or where they gather. Conover characterized the shooting as apparently isolated and noted that, because all known suspects are dead, a criminal prosecution will likely not follow. She nonetheless said her office has confidence in the police investigation and that its Victim Services Advocates are available at 520-724-5525 during the day, with nighttime assistance available through law enforcement.

The investigation remains open, and police have not announced a final account of the motive or sequence of events. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or contact 88-CRIME anonymously. For Tucson residents, the immediate official message is that there is no continuing known threat, but the increased patrols and community coordination reflect the broader impact of the deaths. The statements from city and county officials emphasize support for the victims’ families, Venture-N patrons and LGBTQIA+ residents who are confronting the possibility that a place associated with safety and community was deliberately targeted.