Ten people were hurt in a mass shooting involving police in downtown Tucson early Sunday morning, after officers responded to gunfire near 6th Avenue and Congress Street and an officer shot the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody and then to a hospital, where he was last listed in life-threatening condition.
Police were called around 2 a.m. and heard gunshots as they reached the area. They found the suspect running away, then shot him before giving first aid until Tucson Fire crews arrived and took him away. Nine other people were also hurt, and all nine suffered critical gunshot wounds to their arms or legs.
The shooting is drawing attention because it unfolded in a busy downtown area and left major streets closed while investigators worked the scene. 6th Avenue was closed between Pennington Street and Broadway Boulevard, while Congress Street was closed between Scott and Toole avenues.
What led up to the shooting has not been explained. Police have said only that they heard gunshots, saw the suspect running, and fired as they closed in. That missing piece will matter as much as the injuries themselves, because it is the key to understanding why the confrontation turned into an officer-involved shooting.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation into the shooting, and Tucson police will also conduct a separate internal review to determine whether any department policies were violated. Once that work is complete, the findings will be sent to the Pima County Attorney’s Office for review. The case is the 10th officer-involved shooting in the Tucson area that Arizona’s Family has reported on this year and the 52nd statewide.
