1,000 gather to mourn Tucson gay bar shooting victims
The vigil, while a moment to mourn the loss of two members of the community, also served as a call to action
By Aaron Sugg
Around 1,000 people attended a vigil at Tucson’s Catalina Park on Wednesday (2 September) to mourn Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara, two gay men who were fatally shot outside the LGBTQ+ bar Venture-N.
The friends were shot shortly after midnight on 31 August 2026 in the car park outside Venture-N, a gay bar in Tucson, Arizona. Police said the shooting was “a targeted attack motivated by hate toward the LGBTQIA+ community”.
Police identified the alleged gunman as 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay. He was also found with gunshot wounds and was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
Mayor Regina Romero took to social media following the incident, calling the shooting “another painful reminder that homophobia is still rampant in our country”.
She called for action, including the implementation of “smarter policies to prevent mass shootings and keep our communities safe”, while describing Arizona’s gun laws as “weak”.
Vigil held to remember Tucson gay bar shooting victims
In light of their deaths, and in support of the LGBTQ+ community, a mass of family members and locals gathered at Tucson’s Catalina Park.
Kate Márquez, Siqueiros’ sister, addressed the crowd, remembering her brother’s life. “He was brave enough to live authentically in a world that sometimes told him his authentic self was unacceptable. He chose love anyway,” she said.
Calling for action, she said combating hate requires action before violence occurs: “That demands something of each and every one of us, because hate does not begin with a gun. It begins much earlier. Our rhetoric matters, the jokes matter, the words we excuse matters, silence matters, and the way we love people matters.”
Family members mourn the death of their loves ones
Jeff Capara, Cameron’s father, spoke about his son’s compassion. He said: “He cared deeply about people in Tucson, or those thousands of miles away. People who were marginalized, overlooked or misunderstood.”
“I wish I had more time with Cameron, I wish I could have seen where his life would have taken him… the photographs he would have taken, what people he would have helped, and what more he would have done with his enormous heart.”
The vigil, while a moment to mourn the loss of two members of the community, also served as a call to action. Family members encouraged LGBTQ+ people to live openly and called on the wider community to confront homophobic rhetoric and violence before more people are hurt.
Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting, or anyone with doorbell or security-camera footage from the area, to contact 911 or 88-CRIME. The investigation remains ongoing.