Authorities in Tucson are investigating a deadly shooting outside Venture-N, an LGBTQ+ bar, as a possible hate crime after two men were killed and the suspected gunman also died from gunshot wounds.
The shooting happened shortly after midnight Monday, Aug. 31, in the parking lot of Venture-N on North Sixth Avenue. Tucson police identified the victims as 42-year-old Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and 33-year-old Cameron Davis Capara. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspected shooter, 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, was also found with gunshot wounds and was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. (
Police said preliminary evidence indicates Ceesay confronted Siqueiros and Capara in the parking lot before shooting them. Investigators have not publicly explained how Ceesay was wounded, and authorities are continuing to reconstruct the events that led to the three deaths.
The possible hate-crime investigation stems in part from a note investigators said they found in Ceesay’s possession containing the names of several businesses associated with the LGBTQIA+ community. Police have not announced a final motive or determined that the killings were legally a hate crime, but the evidence has prompted detectives to pursue that possibility.
Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto said the department understood that the shooting could create fear and pain within the LGBTQIA+ community. Police have increased their presence around LGBTQIA+ establishments and said there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the wider public.
The shooting has prompted grief across Tucson, particularly among people who viewed Venture-N as an important gathering place for the LGBTQIA+ community. Flowers, candles and photographs of Siqueiros and Capara have been placed outside the bar as friends and community members mourned the two men. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Catalina Park.
People who knew the victims have described them as compassionate, community-minded men. Friends remembered Siqueiros as thoughtful and considerate, while those close to Capara described him as a photographer who cared deeply about his community and sought to make a positive difference. Their deaths have left friends and fellow community members struggling to understand the violence that took their lives.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero also condemned the shooting and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families and the LGBTQ+ community. Local organizations have urged residents to support one another as the investigation continues and the community processes the loss.
The tragedy has also drawn comparisons with previous attacks against LGBTQ+ gathering places, including the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, in which 49 people were killed. Those comparisons reflect the broader fear surrounding violence at places that have historically served as safe and social spaces for LGBTQ+ people, although the circumstances of the Tucson shooting remain specific to the ongoing investigation.
For investigators, key questions remain about what led Ceesay to confront the two men, why the victims were targeted and what significance the note containing LGBTQIA+-associated businesses may have had. Police are continuing to examine physical evidence, witness accounts and other information as they work to establish a complete timeline.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid speculation while detectives determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The case remains active, and the possible hate-crime designation and motive have not yet been conclusively established.
