Court records accuse David Leroy French of firing into a crowd after an argument outside a downtown pizza restaurant.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Police identified a 21-year-old man accused of shooting nine people outside a downtown Tucson restaurant early Sunday before an officer shot and critically wounded him as he ran from the area.
David Leroy French was named in an interim complaint filed Monday in connection with the July 19 shooting near Empire Pizza at Sixth Avenue and Congress Street. The court document alleges that surveillance video captured French firing into a crowd after a verbal dispute between two groups escalated. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The shooting happened shortly after 2 a.m. in Tucson’s downtown entertainment district, where officers were already conducting foot patrols. Police said officers heard gunfire and moved toward the sound. They encountered a man running from the scene, and one officer fired after issuing repeated commands, according to accounts released by the department.
Emergency crews found nine adults suffering from gunshot wounds. All were taken to hospitals, initially in critical condition. Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto said Monday that every victim was continuing to recover and that many had already been released. Authorities have not publicly identified the victims or provided individual medical updates.
The officer who shot French and the circumstances surrounding that use of force are being examined separately from the criminal case. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation as part of the Pima Regional Critical Incident Team, a multiagency group that reviews shootings involving law enforcement. Tucson police are also conducting an internal administrative review.
French remained hospitalized after being shot by the officer. Prieto said he had been arrested and charged and would be booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex after doctors released him. His initial court appearance had not taken place because he remained medically unavailable, according to local reports.
The interim complaint accuses French of nine counts of aggravated assault involving a firearm and nine counts of aggravated assault involving serious physical injury. Police said additional charges could be filed as investigators review evidence and interview witnesses. No defense attorney representing French was identified in the reports reviewed Tuesday.
Authorities said the confrontation began with an argument between two groups outside the restaurant. Investigators have not released a detailed account of what prompted the dispute or established a motive for the gunfire. Court records cited by local news organizations say investigators reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed French shooting toward the group.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said French had previously been charged after firing a gun during an October 2024 altercation. Police said the earlier shot missed its intended target. French later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was placed on probation rather than sent to prison, Conover said.
Conover said the court’s probation department determined that French qualified for intensive probation, while the judge ultimately ordered standard probation. He remained on probation at the time of Sunday’s shooting, according to her statement. The earlier conviction does not establish guilt in the new case, which will proceed separately through the courts.
Prieto credited officers, Tucson firefighters, nearby businesses, community members and hospital staff for their response. She said officers provided emergency trauma care to the injured people and to French while medical crews arrived. Twenty uniformed officers, five uniformed sergeants and two community service officers were assigned to the downtown district when the shooting occurred, she said.
The incident forced authorities to close streets and businesses around the scene while investigators collected evidence. Downtown employees told local news outlets that the shooting and closures disrupted nearby businesses and raised concerns about safety in an area known for restaurants, bars and nighttime activity.
Police said they plan to maintain a visible presence downtown as the investigation continues. Authorities are reviewing video and other evidence and have asked anyone who witnessed the shooting or recorded it to contact investigators. Further information about the victims, the officer who fired or French’s court schedule had not been released as of Tuesday.