Tucson Shooting Leaves Nine People Critically Injured

A confrontation between two groups of people escalated into a mass shooting in downtown Tucson at approximately 2 AM Sunday near the intersection of 6th Avenue and Congress Street, adjacent to Empire Pizza in the city's entertainment district, which was crowded with people out for a Saturday night.

Nine bystanders were struck by gunfire, all adults, suffering critical gunshot wounds predominantly to their arms and legs. Police say authorities are hopeful all nine may survive.

Officers on foot patrol in the area heard gunshots and immediately ran toward the sound, locating the suspect fleeing the scene.

A uniformed officer shot the suspect after issuing commands that were not followed. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a hospital in life-threatening condition. No officers were injured.

Tucson police say the original shooting began as a confrontation between two groups known to each other, bystanders were struck when shots were fired. The Pima County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation as the primary agency for the officer-involved shooting while Tucson police conduct a separate internal review.

Anyone with information or video is asked to call 88-CRIME and reference Pima County Sheriff's Department case No. 260719048.

Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, herself a gunshot survivor who represented Tucson, released a statement. "Arizonans should be able to go get pizza on a Saturday night without fearing the next random act of gun violence," she said.