Two killed in targeted anti-LGBTQ attack outside Tucson gay bar, police say

Two people were killed early Monday outside Venture-N, a longtime gay bar in Tucson, Arizona, in what police described as a “targeted attack motivated by hate toward the LGBTQIA+ community.” The gunman, identified as 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Tucson Police Department.

The victims were Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33, police said. Ceesay had recently arrived in the Tucson area and had no apparent connection to either victim. A note found on him listed several LGBTQ-associated businesses, police said. A search of his residence turned up evidence that the attack was targeted at the LGBTQ community and a note indicating he acted alone.

David Wallis, the owner of Venture-N, and Jose Ortega, the property’s owner, were out of town when the shooting happened. Ortega said the acting manager called about 1 a.m. Monday to say someone had been shot outside in the parking lot, then one of the wounded victims came through the bar door bleeding. “It was terrible, we didn’t know what to say,” Ortega told CNN. He and Wallis cut their trip short and returned.

Venture-N has been a fixture of the city’s nightlife for years, and Ortega described it as “a gay bar, but a neighborhood bar” with a loyal crowd of regulars. He said the people killed were fairly regular customers. No one associated with the bar recognized or remembered seeing Ceesay before the attack, he added. “This really has to be kind of an outlier. It has to be just something strange that happened,” Ortega said. “Unfortunately, we’re the ones that were affected this time.”

Community members placed candles and flowers outside the bar as the news settled over the neighborhood. Scott Blades, who is part of Tucson’s LGBTQ community, described Venture-N as an important gathering space that had always felt welcoming. “It’s just heartbreaking. Such a senseless, tragic shooting,” Blades told CNN affiliate KOLD. “This is a real important community gathering spot, and it’s always been a safe place for people to come.”

The fear was not limited to those inside the bar. Colette Barajas, a longtime Tucson business owner who is active in the local LGBTQ community, keeps a rainbow flag outside Centra Realty and her home. She told KOLD she was rattled. “I’m nervous, you know, I’ve got my flag out there,” Barajas said.

Police Chief Monica Prieto said the department was increasing patrols around gay bars and other LGBTQ community spaces while the investigation continued. “I am deeply saddened that another senseless loss of life has happened in our community. Bias-based crimes are especially heinous and have no place in our community,” Prieto said in a statement. She emphasized there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the public.

The shooting has also reignited broader concerns about violence targeting LGBTQ people and the places where they gather. The 2016 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando and the 2022 attack at Club Q in Colorado Springs remain grim markers of what can happen when hate takes aim at LGBTQ nightlife. The Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation said it would hold an event Wednesday to honor the victims.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said in a video message posted to Facebook that the shooting was another sign that homophobia remains prevalent. “This tragedy serves as yet another painful reminder that homophobia is still rampant in our country,” Romero said. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover added in a statement: “No one should fear being targeted simply because of who they are and where they gather. I speak in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community.”

Ortega said the shooting felt out of character for a city where people, he said, generally get along. “There’s no way to express sorrow and sympathy in a proper way,” he added. Tucson police said the investigation is ongoing.