Gunman left note indicating 'hate toward LGBTQIA+ community,' Tucson police say

The shooting that killed two men outside Venture-N, a gay bar near the University of Arizona campus, has shaken Tucson’s LGBTQIA+ community and prompted increased police patrols around queer establishments. Investigators now say the killings were a targeted hate crime, after finding a note indicating that the gunman acted out of hatred toward the LGBTQIA+ community. Police said there is no known active threat, but the attack has left residents, businesses and community organizations confronting fear in a place widely known as welcoming and affirming.

Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33, were in the parking lot of Venture-N, at 1239 N. Sixth Ave., shortly after midnight Monday when they were shot, police said. The attack happened at about 12:30 a.m. Both men died at the scene. The gunman, identified as 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, then fatally shot himself with a 9mm handgun and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Police said Ceesay did not try to enter the bar, a detail confirmed through a review of the business’s video footage.

Investigators said Ceesay apparently had no connection to either victim and had been in the Tucson area only a short time. Tucson police had no previous contact with him, and police said he was not legally barred from possessing a firearm. The department said all shell casings recovered from the scene came from the same 9mm handgun, which was found at the location. Those details have helped detectives establish what happened while they continue examining the gunman’s motives and preparations.

A search of Ceesay’s home produced evidence that included a note describing the shooting as a targeted attack motivated by hatred toward LGBTQIA+ people, according to police. Ceesay also carried a separate note listing several LGBTQIA+-associated businesses in the region. Police said the note found during the investigation indicated that he acted alone. Detectives have not identified any apparent personal relationship between Ceesay and the two men killed outside Venture-N.

The list of businesses raised concern across Tucson’s queer community, even as police said there is no known ongoing threat. The department’s Community Engagement and Outreach Section and Homicide Unit have contacted each business named on the list. Officers are working with community organizations to offer support, and police have increased their presence around LGBTQIA+ establishments. Chief of Police Monica Prieto said the department recognized that the attack could cause fear and pain, and emphasized that people of different identities and backgrounds should feel safe, valued and welcome in Tucson.

The response has also taken shape outside law enforcement. Rainbow-colored candles, flowers and photographs honoring Siqueiros and Capara were placed along the exterior wall of Venture-N, while mourners gathered at a pop-up memorial. Tucson Queerstory, one of the groups organizing a candlelight vigil scheduled for Wednesday evening at a local park, described Venture-N as a dependable safe place for Tucson’s queer community and encouraged residents to support the bar as it works toward recovery and reopening.

Tucson Queerstory said relatives of both victims were grateful for the community’s response and overwhelmed by the amount of support. The group also condemned the violence as another hate crime affecting a city with a long-standing reputation for acceptance. Its public message urged people to stand together, affirm the right of LGBTQIA+ residents to exist openly and show the broader community that Tucson’s queer community remains united despite the killings.

Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact investigators, particularly people who may have doorbell camera or security camera footage from near Venture-N. Tips can be reported through 911 or anonymously through 88-CRIME. The department’s outreach to the businesses on the suspect’s list and its coordination with community groups are expected to continue as detectives complete their investigation and local organizations help residents process the attack.

For people who live, work or spend time near Sixth Avenue and the university area, the killings have made a familiar gathering place the site of mourning and heightened caution. Venture-N’s parking lot, normally associated with nightlife and community, is now marked by flowers and photographs for two men who police say were killed because they were connected to the LGBTQIA+ community. The investigation has answered key questions about the gunman’s motive, but Tucson’s response is still unfolding through memorials, security measures and efforts to preserve the sense of safety the bar and its patrons have long represented.