Tucson, Arizona, is having a rough start to the week after a shooting outside a gay bar left three people dead, including the suspect, in what police are investigating as a hate crime. Because when you leave a note listing LGBTQIA+ businesses before shooting someone, it's not exactly a whodunit.

Authorities say the mayhem unfolded just after midnight on Monday in the parking lot of Venture-N. The suspect, 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, allegedly shot 42-year-old Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and 33-year-old Cameron Davis Capara. Ceesay, who apparently sustained gunshot wounds himself, later died at a hospital. So the body count is three, but the community is left with one glaring question: why?

Tucson police, in a news release, noted that 'initial evidence suggests that the suspect confronted the victims in the parking lot of the business.' After that, he shot them. And in case anyone was wondering about motive, the suspect had a note listing several LGBTQIA+ associated businesses. That's about as subtle as a pride flag at a Klan rally. The department is now investigating this as a hate crime, which is kind of like calling water wet.

Tucson police chief Monica Prieto tried to reassure the public, saying, 'We recognize this incident may cause fear and pain within our community.' She added that Tucson is 'a diverse community' and that they're committed to making everyone feel 'safe, valued and welcomed.' Because nothing says safe and welcomed like a shooting outside a gay bar.

Friends of the victims are understandably devastated. Peter Loya, a regular at Venture-N, knew Siqueiros for about 20 years and described him as 'always just been a thoughtful, considerate person, always looking for the best in people.' Meanwhile, Drew Fellows called Capara a 'revolutionary' photographer with a 'people-first mentality' who 'always fought for and believed in a better future.' It's a shame that a better future didn't include basic safety from armed bigots.

Tucson mayor Regina Romero called the shooting 'a direct and devastating attack on our LGBTQ+ community' and 'another senseless act of gun violence.' She also pointed out the obvious: 'homophobia is still rampant in our country' and that 'easy access to firearms and Arizona's weak gun safety laws continue to put all of us at risk.' But hey, at least we can all pretend that thoughts and prayers are a viable strategy.

This tragedy echoes the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in June 2016, where 49 people were killed and 58 injured, the second-deadliest mass shooting in US history. And a 2020 study in Science Advances found that LGBTQ+ people in the US are 2.7 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than cisgender, heterosexual people. So yes, this is very much a pattern. But sure, let's keep arguing about bathroom bills.