Two killed in shooting outside Tucson gay bar; police investigate as hate crime
Authorities in Tucson are investigating the fatal shooting outside a longtime gay bar as a hate crime, saying the suspected gunman carried a note that referenced multiple LGBTQIA+-associated businesses before two men were killed in the parking lot early on Aug. 31.
Police identified the victims as Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33. They were shot shortly after midnight local time on Aug. 31 outside Venture-N, a neighborhood bar near downtown Tucson. The suspected gunman, Ousman Ceesay, 44, was wounded during the incident and later died at a local hospital, according to the Tucson Police Department.
Authorities have released few additional details, including whether Ceesay knew the victims, how he was wounded, or what led him to the bar that night. They have not disclosed how Ceesay sustained the gunshot wound or provided details about his manner of death. Police said initial evidence indicates Ceesay confronted the two men in the parking lot before opening fire. The note he carried listed several LGBTQIA+-associated businesses, but investigators did not identify them or say how many were included.
Police said the shooting is being investigated as a possible hate crime. They also said there is no known ongoing threat, though patrols have been increased around LGBTQIA+ establishments while the investigation continues.
Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto described the killings as a senseless loss and said bias-based crimes are especially heinous. "Our investigators are thoroughly examining the evidence and pursuing all available leads as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding this tragic incident," Prieto said in a statement.
Venture-N has long been a fixture in Tucson's queer nightlife. Gay Tucson describes the bar as "the kind of neighborhood leather/Levi's bar that feels instantly familiar: unpretentious, masculine, and social." The nondescript gray building not far from downtown offers a bar, pool tables and darts under dim lights, the website said.
The attack set off an immediate wave of grief across the city. Mayor Regina Romero called it a "direct and devastating attack on our LGBTQ+ community, another senseless act of gun violence." In a video statement, she added that the shooting was "another painful reminder that homophobia is still rampant in our country."
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Sept. 2, organized by Tucson Queerstory, Southern Arizona Senior Pride, the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation and other groups, to honor Siqueiros and Capara and to support community members affected by the shooting.
Those organizations said the violence had shaken the city's LGBTQIA+ community. "Places like Venture-N are more than businesses," the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation said. "They are places where people find friendship, chosen family, safety, and belonging." Southern Arizona Senior Pride called the attack devastating and frightening, especially for older residents who remember earlier periods of discrimination and violence. The group said the community deserves to gather, celebrate and live openly without fear.
Tucson Queerstory said Venture-N has served for decades as a "steadfast safe space" for the local queer community and described the impact of the shooting as profound. "Tucson has long been known for its welcoming environment and strong queer community," the group said. "To now add another hate crime to that history is heartbreaking and infuriating. Living through it in real time makes the history we study all too real."
The killings also echoed other attacks on queer spaces, including the 2022 mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that left five people dead. NYC Pride said the Tucson shooting came less than three months after the 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, where 49 people were killed. "Our bars, clubs, and local gathering spots are meant to be safe spaces for our community," NYC Pride said. "Tragedies like this are a painful reminder that too often, they are not."
According to GLAAD, a nonprofit LGBTQ advocacy organization, nearly 50 people have been killed in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes in the United States since June 2022, and nearly 350 people have been injured in similar attacks. The organization also said it has tracked at least 58 targeted acts of hate against the LGBTQ community in Arizona over the past four years.
Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD's president and CEO, said in a statement that the country is facing an unprecedented moment of attacks and discrimination targeting LGBTQ people. "We need every voice to speak up and advocate for an end to gun violence and to protect vulnerable and marginalized people," she said.
The full circumstances behind the shooting remain under investigation. In the meantime, local LGBTQ organizations have called for continued support for Venture-N and for the wider community, saying the bar has long been a place where people found safety and belonging.