1 dead after gunman targets responders to Arizona house fire
Police in Arizona say a gunman killed one person and wounded four others, including firefighters and paramedics, at the scene of a house fire
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A gunman killed one person and wounded four others, including firefighters and paramedics, at the scene of a house fire in Arizona on Sunday before being shot by an officer, authorities said.
The 35-year-old suspect, who was critically wounded and remains hospitalized, drove up to the fire and shot at an ambulance crew around 3:45 p.m., Tucson police Chief Chris Magnus told news outlets. The ambulance driver, a 20-year-old man, was shot in the head, and a paramedic in the passenger seat, a 21-year-old woman, was shot in the chest and arm. The driver was in critical condition and the woman was stable.
The suspect also opened fire on firefighters and neighbors trying to douse the flames, the chief said. One neighbor was shot in the head and died. A firefighter was shot in the arm, and another bullet grazed another neighbor's head.
A “badly burned” body was found inside the home. Children who lived there and were initially missing have since been located unharmed, Sgt. Richard Richard Gradillas said Monday. He would not confirm how many children had been missing.
A police officer responding to the scene encountered the suspect a couple blocks away, the chief said. Police said the suspect rammed his SUV into the officer's vehicle and opened fire. The officer returned fire and shot the suspect, critically wounding him, the chief said. The officer was not injured.
“This is a highly tragic, really horrific incident, with many unknowns,” Magnus said.
Investigators are still trying to piece together several details.
“We are continuing the investigation and not releasing anything additional right now,” Gradillas said.
The investigation was ongoing. It was unclear what prompted the attacks or if the suspect had a connection to the residents of the burned home.
Tucson lies roughly 115 miles (185 kilometers) southeast of Phoenix
___
This story has been corrected to clarify that the police chief said two or three children were missing after the house fire, not three.