A Gambian Muslim killed two people outside a gay bar in Tucson, Arizona, in an attack that U.S. authorities later confirmed as a hate crime against the LGBT community.
The incident occurred in the early morning of August 31, in the parking lot of the Venture-N bar. According to the Tucson Police Department, Ousman Ceesay, 44, confronted Cameron Davis Capara, 33, and Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42, before shooting both of them. The two victims died at the scene.
Ousman Ceesay
After the attack, Ceesay shot himself with a 9mm pistol and later died in a hospital. Investigators determined that he did not previously know the victims and had recently arrived in Tucson.
During the search of his home, police found notes indicating that he had acted alone and that the attack was motivated by his hatred of homosexuals. Additionally, the attacker had a list of other establishments in the area recognized as "LGBT friendly."
Ceesay was born in Gambia, a country in West Africa, and grew up within the Muslim faith. He had arrived in the United States at least 17 years prior, lived for years in Oklahoma, and later obtained U.S. citizenship.
One of the victims, Cameron Davis Capara, was a photographer and actively participated in various progressive causes. In recent years, he had documented protests against the wars in Gaza and Iran, pro-Palestine protests, and ICE immigration operations in Arizona. His family described him as someone particularly committed to issues of “social justice.”
Cameron Campara, the activist murdered by the Muslim.
The police emphasized that there is no evidence that Ceesay personally chose Capara for personal reasons, but rather because of his sexual preferences. The investigation determined that the victims were unknown to the Muslim attacker and that the motive for the incident was related to the establishment and its connection to the LGBT community.
Authorities later contacted other LGBT businesses mentioned as potential targets in Ceesay's notes, while hastily assuring that "there is currently no active threat" following the terrorist's death.
