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Gunman charged after wounding 9 in Tucson nightlife shooting before cop takes him down
By Sophia Compton
Published July 20, 2026
A 21-year-old man is facing a slew of charges after allegedly opening fire in a packed downtown Tucson nightlife district early Sunday, wounding nine people before police took him down.
David Leroy French was charged with nine counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, nine counts of aggravated assault causing serious physical injury and one count of discharging a firearm at a structure, a Tucson Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
French was booked in absentia while hospitalized and will be taken to the Pima County Adult Detention Complex after his release, police said.
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A Tucson Police Department forensic photographer documents the downtown scene where nine people were wounded in a shooting early Sunday, July 19, 2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star)
Additional charges are pending, the spokesperson added.
The shooting erupted around 2 a.m. in the 100 block of East Congress Street, a busy area lined with bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
An interim complaint said the gunfire followed a verbal altercation. Investigators identified French as the shooter after reviewing surveillance footage, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
Officers patrolling nearby heard the shots and rushed to the scene on foot, 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)
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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.
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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.
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The Pima County Sheriff’s Department told Fox News Digital that it is not releasing French’s mugshot at this time, citing a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Fox News Digital's Bonny Chu contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/gunman-charged-wounding-9-tucson-nightlife-shooting-cop-takes-him