Tucson mass shooting has residents concerned over ongoing rampant violence, pols debating gun rights

A downtown Tucson, Arizona, mass shooting left nine victims wounded, the alleged shooter with life-threatening injuries, and locals concerned about the Democrat-run city's late-night gun violence having spun out of control.

The shooting erupted around 2 a.m. near Empire Pizza at East Congress Street and Sixth Avenue, a busy nightlife area filled with people leaving bars and restaurants. Police believe the violence began with a confrontation between two groups whose members knew each other, with bystanders caught in the crossfire. Authorities had not said how many weapons were fired or publicly detailed what started the dispute.

"Definitely it's not as safe as it used to be because I know there's all kinds of fighting happening," Tucson resident Roxanne Brown told Fox 10 Phoenix.

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Anais Camacho, who has seen shootings at the same downtown corner before, said she routinely warns relatives to leave before the bars close.

"I had like a gut feeling that we should leave and pretty much as soon as we got up, there were some guys fighting and I shouldn’t have butted my butt in, but I did," Camacho told local KGUN 9. "I was like, stop fighting and then instantly he like lifted his shirt up, and I didn’t even see the gun, but I knew what that meant."

"So I yelled at everybody to like run away like but I guess I said it in Spanish — I didn’t realize," Camacho added. "I said he has a gun, he has a gun and nobody like moved and I had to like grab my cousin and we dipped and as soon as we bent the corner, shots fired."

Camacho said she knows first-hand of the "rowdy" late-night violence there.

"I always tell my family and friends this: Once we’re out at 1:30 a.m., let’s go home because after 1:30 people always start fighting," she told the local station. "People get drunk, they want pizza, and it always happens right here in this line or in this area in this corner. I’ve been through another shooting the exact same way right here on this corner and last time they let out three shots, so I kind of knew once people get rowdy, go home, you know."

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Empire Pizza said in a message posted to social media that two of the wounded people were on its patio but that the bullets came from outside the restaurant. The business praised officers who rushed toward the shooting and began treating victims within roughly a minute, but also issued a stark assessment of security downtown.

"It breaks our hearts to see what downtown has become," the restaurant said. "There is a stronger security presence guarding our bus station than any other business in downtown."

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Democratic Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz. – wife to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and herself a victim of gun violence – are blaming the lack of gun control for the decline in public safety.

"Easy access to guns and Arizona’s weak gun safety laws have continued to put all of us at risk," Romero said in a statement. "From requiring universal background checks to extreme risk laws to funding violence prevention there is more lawmakers can and should do. We all deserve to be safe in all public spaces, in our schools, in our homes, in our shopping malls, and in our places of worship."

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Romero thanked the officers for stopping the shooter before.

"Last night, Tucson experienced another serious and senseless act of gun violence," her statement began. "A shooter recklessly began shooting in a crowded area striking nine people before being stopped by a Tucson Police Officer. Thanks to the quick actions and excellent care provided by our fire fighters and police officers, all victims were stabilized and taken to the hospital where we are hopeful they will all recover."

"As we all know too well, the impact resulting from this act of gun violence reaches beyond the scene and the victims," Romero continued. "It affects all of us: family and friends, first responders, the witnesses, our entire community. We know these moments leave a lasting impression on us and our sense of safety. For the victims, you have my prayers for healing and a speedy recovery. To the first responders, you have my gratitude. To our community, join us in taking action against gun violence and helping the victims and those affected by gun violence to heal."

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Giffords, a leading gun control advocate, has given the state an "F" rating on GIFFORDS’ Annual Gun Law Scorecard, and lamented that "the state lacks commonsense gun laws like universal background checks, gun owner licensing and red-flag laws."

"It is especially alarming to see another mass shooting in my hometown," she wrote in a statement Sunday. "As we await more information, what I know is this: Arizonans should be able to go get pizza on a Saturday night without fearing the next random act of gun violence. Arizona continues to have laws that make it easy for dangerous people to access guns — the time to act is now."

Pima County authorities, still in the unresolved search for Nancy Guthrie, are now investigating the officer-involved shooting.

"Our senior leadership is still assisting at the mass shooting downtown this morning, and a team of victim advocates has been dispatched to the hospital where we are hopeful that all nine shooting victims may survive" Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said.

Republican Senate President Warren Petersen said the violence only highlights the need for the right for people to bear arms for self-defense.

"As this tragedy reminds us, evil exists, which is why we remain steadfast in supporting law enforcement and the constitutional rights of law-abiding Arizonans to protect themselves and others," Petersen wrote in a statement, according to KGUN. "We are praying for the recovery of those who were injured, for comfort for the families affected, and for justice to be served."