Arizona police confirm Tucson gay bar shooting was a hate crime

Police in Arizona have confirmed that a shooting at a Tucson gay bar that left three people dead, including the shooter, was a hate crime. Monday when they were confronted and then shot by Ceesay, police said. Ceesay then shot himself with a 9mm handgun and never tried to enter the bar, police said.Both Siqueiros and Capara died at the scene, and Ceesay was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Police said Ceesay was carrying a note with a list of other LGBTQIA+-associated businesses in the region.He had no prior contacts with the police department and was not prohibited from possessing firearms, the police department said.Police say there is no active threat to LGBTQIA communityPolice officers have contacted each of the businesses on the list, and the department said there is no known active threat to the community. The department is working with community organizations to provide support, and officers were expected to staff a candlelight vigil for Siqueiros and Capara set for Wednesday evening at a local park.Rainbow-colored candles, flowers and photos honoring the pair lined the exterior wall of the Venture-N, a cozy neighborhood bar not far from the University of Arizona campus. The shooting rocked the LGBTQIA+ community in a city normally known as an affirming place to live.Vigil organizers say the bar has been ‘a steadfast safe place’ for communityTucson Queerstory, one of several groups organizing the candlelight vigil, wrote on social media that Venture-N has been “a steadfast safe place for Tucson's queer community,” and encouraged people to show support as the bar works to recover and re-open.“Tucson has long been known for its welcoming environment and strong queer community.

To now add another hate crime to that history is heartbreaking and infuriating,” the organization wrote.The group urged people to “remind ours…