Empire Pizza is urging Tucson leaders to prioritize prosecution, street conditions and police visibility after nine people were wounded in a shooting outside the restaurant’s downtown location early Sunday. The business said two victims had been sitting on its patio when gunfire erupted near Congress Street and Sixth Avenue.
In an Instagram statement, the restaurant said it was “disheartened” that public discussion shifted toward gun control. Empire Pizza instead cited theft, open drug use, deteriorating streets and what it described as insufficient prosecution. The business, which has operated in Tucson for more than 16 years, said downtown safety has declined.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero pushed back, saying the city has assigned additional officers downtown on weekends since 2021 and funded policing, homelessness programs and revitalization efforts. Romero argued that easy access to firearms contributed to the shooting. City officials discussed a pilot program Tuesday intended to improve enforcement and prosecution of drug-related misdemeanors.
Police identified 21-year-old David Leroy French as the suspect. He faces 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. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said French had a prior felony aggravated-assault conviction and remained on probation without documented violations when Sunday’s shooting occurred.
Downtown businesses are preparing additional precautions. The Downtown Tucson Partnership plans to deploy 17 shared identification scanners in early August to help participating venues detect fake IDs and track patrons removed from bars. Police Chief Monica Prieto said the department would maintain a substantial, visible presence downtown.
