A Tucson gunman accused of wounding nine people outside Empire Pizza and Pub was still on probation when a police officer stopped him within seconds.
David Leroy French, 21, allegedly opened fire around 2 a.m. on July 19 after an disagreement near the downtown restaurant, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
The footage puts the officer’s shot at the end of a fast-moving confrontation in which French appears with a handgun, fires several rounds and tries to get away.
French had previously received probation for firing a rifle at a car wash employee in 2024.
Democratic Tucson Mayor Regina Romero described the shooting in a statement to KGUN.
“A shooter recklessly began shooting in a crowded area striking nine people before being stopped by a Tucson Police Officer,” Romero wrote.
The mayor credited firefighters and police with getting the wounded stabilized and transported.
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“Thanks to the quick actions and excellent care provided by our fire fighters and police officers, all victims were stabilized and taken to the hospital where we are hopeful they will all recover,” Romero continued.
Empire Pizza and Pub said it was gathering surveillance footage to help investigators when it spotted two police officers helping victims.
French faces nine counts of aggravated assault in connection with the shooting near the restaurant.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover addressed French’s earlier case in a July 20 statement.
“It is believed that the suspect arrested in connection with a mass shooting downtown early Sunday morning had one prior felony conviction when he was 19 years old,” Conover wrote.
“Our records check indicates that the individual was charged by our office at that time with a class three felony for firing a weapon during an altercation. He then pled guilty to that aggravated assault.”
French had faced possible prison time in that case. “At sentencing he faced a prison range of anywhere from two to nearly nine years in prison,” Conover noted.
French was assessed by the court’s probation department and found to meet the criteria for intensive probation, according to Conover. The judge ordered standard probation instead.
“It appears he was still under that supervision in our community without any documented infractions in the court file when Sunday morning’s incident occurred,” Conover wrote.
Romero took aim at “easy access to guns and Arizona’s weak gun safety laws” in a social media post after the shooting.
Empire Pizza and Pub accused local officials online of failing to enforce existing laws.
Empire Pizza and Pub also criticized local media in multiple posts and comments and questioned coverage in another post.
Seattle police were also investigating a mass shooting at a three-day food festival at Seattle Center near the Space Needle.
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said Tuesday that the shooting appeared to involve at least three suspects. Three people were killed, including one suspect, and at least five others were wounded.
Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19, died at the scene. Police disarmed and arrested a 15-year-old suspect there, while at least one other suspect remained at large.
Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, and Ashley Whitehead, 56, were killed despite being uninvolved in the shooting, according to police.
Investigators recovered fired cartridge casings and three pistols from the scene.
Police seized a 9mm ghost gun from the 15-year-old suspect. The weapon was made from a parts kit produced by the now-defunct company Polymer80.
Another recovered gun was a Glock pistol modified with an auto sear, or “switch,” allowing it to fire as a fully automatic machine gun.
Police did not believe any of the recovered firearms had been stolen, though authorities were still working to trace the two serialized guns.
Barnes said investigators were reviewing physical evidence, digital recordings and camera footage to reconstruct the shooting and locate anyone else involved.
Police were also trying to find a person who showed up at a nearby hospital with what may have been a gunshot wound, though that person had not been confirmed as a victim of the festival shooting.
Seattle police believe the violence was probably gang-related.
“We’re working to determine the groups involved and what their relationship may be,” Barnes told reporters.
At a Monday press conference, South Seattle Emerald reporter Connor Nash questioned Barnes about being out of town when the shooting happened.
The chief had been in Dallas, Texas, for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Officers Conference because two Seattle officers were being honored. Barnes acknowledged being out of town.
“I wish that I had a crystal ball and we could schedule gun violence, but we can’t,” Barnes replied.
Nash pressed him again. “Let me tell you something. I don’t have to tell you where I go. I had a medical procedure on Friday,” Barnes snapped.
“I have been here working as hard as I can for this city, from the day I got here. You got that?” Barnes pressed.
Nash answered, “But there are reports that you’re not in town often,” and Barnes replied, “The reports are wrong, do you understand?”
San Antonio police released video from a separate June 16 SWAT shooting tied to an arrest warrant.
The officers arrived just after 5 p.m. in an unmarked vehicle and found Roman Pena, 35, inside a parked vehicle, according to police.
After officers pulled in front of the vehicle and saw Pena with a gun, police said he began shooting.
All four officers fired numerous times. Pena and one officer were struck by gunfire, and both were taken to a hospital for treatment. No bystanders were injured.
Pena was charged with four counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer.
The officers involved have eight to nine years of service with the San Antonio Police Department.
The department’s Shooting Team and Internal Affairs Unit are conducting separate, concurrent inquiries, and the District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the incident.
