After a mass shooting in downtown, a Tucson business that was front and center is speaking out about safety in the area.
On its Instagram account, Empire Pizza said two of the shooting’s nine victims were on its patio at 137 E. Congress when bullets came from outside.
“We opened 16 years ago. We opened before the streetcar, before private development and before Rio Nuevo,” the restaurant’s post said. “It breaks our hearts to see what downtown has become.”
Gunfire broke out around 2 a.m. Sunday in a confrontation between two groups, critically injuring nine people. A suspect who was seen running from the area was shot by a Tucson Police officer who was in the area patrolling and ran to the scene.
“The difference between University Boulevard and Congress Street is about half a mile. The gun laws are the same. The difference is the vagrancy, lack of police presence, panhandling, public urination, defecation, open air drug use, graffiti, etc. As mayor, there’s not much you can do about federal and state gun law, but you can make a world of difference with the rest,” the comment said.
Empire’s original post, which also offered prayers to the victims, stated the Ronstadt Transit Center has a stronger security presence than any business in the area.
