A 21-year-old man has been hit with multiple criminal charges after authorities say he opened fire in the heart of downtown Tucson’s nightlife scene early Sunday, injuring nine people before police stopped him.
David Leroy French is accused of nine counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, nine counts of aggravated assault resulting in serious physical injury and one count of firing a gun at a structure, a Tucson Police Department spokesperson told INC News.
Police said French was booked in absentia while receiving treatment at a hospital. Once he is released, he is expected to be transferred to the Pima County Adult Detention Complex.
A Tucson Police Department forensic photographer works at the downtown Tucson scene where nine people were injured in an early Sunday shooting on July 19, 2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star)
Authorities said more charges could still be filed as the investigation continues.
The Tucson shooting unfolded at about 2 a.m. in the 100 block of East Congress Street, a popular downtown corridor known for its bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
According to an interim complaint, the gunfire broke out after a verbal dispute. Investigators later identified French as the suspected shooter by reviewing surveillance video, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
Officers already on patrol in the area heard the shots and ran toward the scene, police said.
Evidence markers sit near clothing as Tucson police investigate a downtown shooting that wounded nine people early Sunday, July 19, 2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star)
Police said officers saw the suspect running from the area and repeatedly ordered him to stop.
After he allegedly ignored their commands, a uniformed officer fired his weapon and struck him.
The suspect was taken into custody and given first aid before being transported to a hospital in life-threatening condition.
Tucson police detectives investigate the downtown scene where nine people were wounded in a shooting early Sunday, July 19, 2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star via Getty Images)
Nine other people were shot and taken to local hospitals.
Police said most were wounded in the arms or legs. No deaths were reported, and no officers were injured.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department told INC News that it is not releasing French’s mugshot at this time, citing a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
