Tucson, Arizona and Seattle, Washington Shootings Expose Gun Law Leniency

On July 19, a shooting near Empire Pizza and Pub in Tucson, Arizona injured nine people. A separate incident at the Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington resulted in three deaths and four injuries.

Authorities say the Tucson shooter, 21‑year‑old David Leroy French, was a felon who had previously been placed on probation for a 2024 rifle‑fire incident. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Representative Adelita Grijalva linked the events to Arizona’s weak gun‑safety statutes. In Washington, the case involves a 15‑year‑old suspect, and state juvenile‑firearm laws allow multiple arrests before a judge can order detention longer than 30 days, a pattern cited as contributing to the violence.