Who is Ousman Ceesay? Tucson gay bar shooting suspect identified in hate crime probe

Ousman Ceesay has been identified as the suspect of deadly shooting at a Tucson gay bar that has left people grieving. The 44-year-old was accused of shooting two men dead before he died from a gunshot wound. Police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.A growing memorial sits outside the Venture-N Bar in Tucson, Ariz., Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, for Vincent Siquieros and Cameron Capara, who were fatally shot in the parking lot of the gay bar shortly after midnight Monday. (AP Photo/Rebecca Noble) (AP Photo/Rebecca Noble)Who is Ousman Ceesay?Ceesay is the suspect accused of shooting two men dead in the parking lot of Venture-N, a longtime Tucson gay bar, as per AP.Ceesay was carrying a note that listed several LGBTQIA-associated businesses, according to a police news release. Initial evidence suggests he confronted the two victims in the parking lot before shooting them.Ceesay also suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to the Tucson Police Department.The police department released few details about the shooting and did not say whether Ceesay knew the victims.Also read: Charlie Kirk hearing: Why prosecutors brought up Trump’s Butler assassination attempt in Tyler Robinson's caseWhat happened in the shooting?Police in Arizona are investigating a devastating shooting at a Tucson gay bar as a possible hate crime, one that has left three people dead, including the shooter, as per AP.Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, and Cameron Davis Capara, 33, lost their lives after being shot in the parking lot shortly after midnight Monday. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, the Tucson Police Department said.The investigation is still ongoing, and while there is no known active threat to the community, police have increased their presence around other gay-friendly businesses in the region to help keep people safe, per CNN.Also read: Why did two jurors wear pink at Lindsay Clancy trial? Details as jury remains deadlocked on verdictPolice call it a hate crimeTucson's Chief of Police Monica Prieto spoke out about the tragedy, "Bias-based crimes are especially heinous and have no place in our community," she said.Prieto also expressed her sorrow over the loss of life. "I am deeply saddened that another senseless loss of life has happened in our community. Bias-based crimes are especially heinous and have no place in our community," she said, as per CNN.Deadly Tucson shooting stirs memories of other attacks on LGBTQIA communitiesThe shooting left members of the LGBTQIA community and allies across the country shaken, stirring memories of other fatal attacks, including July's deadly Berlin Pride attack and the 2022 shooting at a nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that left five people dead.NYC Pride noted on social media that June 12 marked the 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, when 49 people were killed and 53 were wounded. The Pulse massacre was, at the time, the worst mass shooting in modern US history, as per AP."Our bars, clubs, and local gathering spots are meant to be safe spaces for our community. Tragedies like this are a painful reminder that too often, they are not," NYC Pride wrote on Instagram.