Two men were shot and killed at a popular gay bar in Tucson, Arizona; it has officially been labeled a hate crime.
Venture-N Bar, located near the University of Arizona, is a familiar and welcoming space for Tucson residents and visitors. Vincent Anthony Siqueiros (42) and Cameron Davis Capara (33) were killed in the parking lot of Venture-N at 12:03 a.m.
Ousman Ceesay, a 44-year-old man Muslim man, new to Tucson, was armed with a 9mm handgun. Ceesay had no connection to Capara or Siquerious but was carrying a list of LGBTQ+ businesses in the area. He later killed himself and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The attack was confirmed by the Tucson Police Department to be targeted at the LGBTQ+ community.
"[It] is both chilling and enraging, and yet another dangerous example of the hate and bigotry that makes all Americans less safe," Human Rights Campaign, the largest U.S. LGBTQ advocacy organization, told Reuters.
The community came together in mourning on Wednesday, hosting a candlelight vigil honoring the victims of the shooting. The vigil took place in Philip Walsted Memorial in Catalina Park, a park commemorating a 2002 victim of an anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime.
Peter Loya, a frequenter of Venture-N, knew both men. Suqueiros was the type to always look for the best in others, Loya said to the Tucson Sentinel.
“Tucson has long been known for its welcoming environment and strong queer community,” Tucson Queerstory, a well-known queer non-profit advocating for the community, wrote on social media. “To now add another hate crime to that history is heartbreaking and infuriating.”
