A Pima County constable and two other people were shot and killed by a suspect at an apartment complex in Tucson on Thursday. The shootings occurred when Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay attempted to serve an eviction notice.
According to the Tucson Police Department, officers responded to the Lind Commons Apartments, located at 3493 East Lind Road, around 11 a.m. on August 25, in response to a shooting.
Constable Martinez-Garibay and the apartment manager were shot by the suspect as they were serving the eviction notice.
The suspect, who has not yet been identified, also killed his neighbor before killing himself.
Governor Doug Ducey ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff tomorrow, Friday, August 26, in honor of the innocent lives lost, including Constable Martinez-Garibay.
“The loss of Constable Deborah Martinez is felt across our state,” said Ducey. “Whether it was serving in the U.S. Army or carrying out her duties as a constable for Pima County, she dedicated her life to helping others and her community. Constable Martinez was a Tucson native who will be remembered for the way she treated others with dignity and respect. Our thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family, as well as those who also lost their lives in today’s tragic events.”
Constable Martinez-Garibay enlisted in the Army after the September 11, 2001 and spent the next 16 years serving. After her time in the Army, she volunteered at local nonprofits dedicated to veterans and their families, and served on various veterans advisory groups.
“On behalf of the Board of Supervisors and fellow Pima County employees, we extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Precinct 8 Constable Deborah Martinez, who was killed today in the line of duty. Our County Constables perform a difficult and important job for the people of this County. They often encounter people at their most vulnerable and emotional, yet they all perform their duties with professionalism and compassion. I am heartbroken at this terrible tragedy, and I will keep Constable Martinez and all who knew and loved her in my thoughts.”
— Official Pima County (@pimaarizona) August 26, 2022
Laura and I send our thoughts and prayers to the families of Constable Deborah Martinez and the other victims of this tragic incident. https://t.co/CXLDkQYA0J
— Juan Ciscomani (@JuanCiscomani) August 26, 2022
— Regina Romero (@TucsonRomero) August 26, 2022