A DEA agent was shot and killed during a gunfight Monday morning at the Amtrak train station in Downtown Tucson. Two other law enforcement officers were wounded, and one suspect died during the incident aboard a passenger train. Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus confirmed the death of the agent Monday afternoon. One other Drug Enforcement Administration agent is hospitalized in critical condition, and a Tucson police officer was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Officers with the regional Counter Narcotics Alliance task force boarded the train this morning, and attempted to arrest two passengers. At least one of those passengers shot at the officers, authorities said. One suspect was arrested in the incident. The other attempted to barricade himself in the train's bathroom, and was later found dead. Tucson City Council offices were instructed to immediately lower their flags to half-staff Monday morning. The shooting took place around 20 minutes after Amtrak's east-bound Sunset Limited 2 arrived in Tucson around 7:40 a.m. Magnus told reporters Monday afternoon that officers with the anti-drug task force routinely board trains and buses to search for narcotics. In video captured from a streaming camera at the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, next to the train station, around 8 a.m., there are two quick shots, and a law enforcement officer with a leashed dog approaches the train, entering a passenger car. While two people stand outside the train waiting, someone yells "get out of here, get out of here," and there is another shot. The officer, dressed in plainclothes and wearing a police vest, retreats from the train with his dog in tow, and heads for cover. Someone leans out of a the doorway of the train car that the officer just left, and apparently fires several more shots from a handgun in the direction the police officer and his dog, including one that loudly ricochets off metal. The train was traveling from Los Angeles to New Orleans and arrived at Tucson at 7:40 a.m. carrying 137 passengers and 11 crew member, said an Amtrak spokesman. He said that there are no reported injuries to passengers and crew onboard the train, and everyone had been evacuated. GET THE DETAILS & CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES FROM TUCSONSENTINEL.COM »
If recent years are any indication, the Southwest is already experiencing the effects of climate change, with record heat waves, larger and catastrophic wildfires, and a monsoon that is basically nonexistent one year, then produces record rainfall and severe weather the next. Read more»
As Arizona enters what is likely to be its third decade of unprecedented drought, the proposed Resolution Copper mine just east of Superior at the site of Oak Flat will use 250 billion gallons of water, according to a water study released by the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Read more»
When the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission meets Monday to make the first changes to its grid maps, it will do so armed with the opinions of dozens of people who attended the recent meetings to make recommendations about how the state’s new districts should look. Read more»
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Andrés A. Portela — Housing Advocate Andrés is the son of Tenishea and Andrés; born and raised in Sierra Vista. He was a first-generation college student and athlete, and a graduate of the University of Arizona. Andrés is a Black Futures Lab policy fellow, Young Black Organizers Project alumnnus, Deputy Director at Arizona Coalition for Change and Our Voice Our Vote, and recently ran in the Democratic primary for the Ward 6 seat on the Tucson City Council. Read more about the Sentinel's Community Advisory Council »
Arizona soccer opened the scoring against a strong USC squad, but the Trojans came back to score four goals to beat the home side at Mulcahy Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Read more»
All streaks have to end some time, but there are better ways to have ended it than the disappointing performance FC Tucson turned in on Saturday night at Kino North Stadium. The visitors from North Texas SC shut down the locals, 2 - 0. Read more»
Shiva Ayyadurai appeared to have absolutely no knowledge of Maricopa County policies and procedures - a shortcoming that would be a consistent theme as he presented his findings as part of the so-called 'audit' of the election in Maricopa County. Read more» 
Five months after Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus was tapped to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection, his nomination will move forward after the head of the Senate committee responsible for the process resolved a months-long dispute over questions about the actions of federal officers during unrest in Portland, Oregon last year. Read more»
Tucson resettlement programs are looking for interpreters to help hundreds of Pashto, Dari and Farsi-speaking refugees from Afghanistan expected to arrive here in the coming weeks. Read more»
Authentically local news for Tucson
Catholic University is spending $5 million on marketing and branding - a small sum compared to what other colleges and universities are investing in advertising, marketing and promotion, which has been rising and is on track this year to be nearly double what it was last year. Read more»
Duane Garvais-Lawrence has spent months driving from reservation to reservation as part of his MMIW Bike Run USA, his second annual trip that Arizonans hope will continue to focus attention on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Read more»
More than 900,000 Arizona food stamp recipients saw an increase in their monthly benefits starting Friday, but recipients will not see the full 21% increase in their pocketbooks because it comes at the same time that a 15% pandemic-related boost in benefits is scheduled to end. Read more»
Commentary
"Your decision to undermine the vaccine and peddle misinformation is grossly irresponsible and unprofessional. The people who follow your direction and avoid the vaccine could easily die because of your recklessness. You may think spreading misinformation will win you a few more votes in next year's Republican primary, but at what cost?" Read more of this opinion piece from Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, and former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services »
Immigrants to the U.S. seeking permanent residency are now are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 under a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy update that took effect Friday. Read more»
Rural Americans are dying of COVID at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts — a divide that health experts say is likely to widen as access to medical care shrinks for a population that tends to be older, sicker, heavier, poorer and less vaccinated. Read more»
"The best pizza in your neighborhood"The fine folks at Rocco's Little Chicago Pizzeria have been great supporters of TucsonSentinel.com right from the get-go. TucsonSentinel.com is a local nonprofit organization, and we depend on underwriting from local small businesses, as well as gifts from readers like you, to keep our hard-working reporters in hot coffee and cold pizza. Through rigorous deep-dive journalistic investigation, we've found that some of the best leftover pizza is from Rocco's. Some people have unwittingly claimed that Rocco's pizza has "too much cheese," but our long-term reporting has demonstrated those claims are false. So the next time you're buying a tasty pie or sandwich over near Broadway and Country Cub, let Rocco DiGrazia know you appreciate his support for quality independent local news without the spin! And save us a slice, OK? And if you operate a local small business, get in touch with us for exclusive rates on effective underwriting packages that reach thousands of Tucsonans every day! http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/sponsor
ICYMI
Hundreds of people gathered in Nogales to push the Biden administration to change a Trump-era policy that cites the COVID-19 pandemic and allow people to legally seek asylum at U.S. border crossings. Read more»
Commentary
As Arizona rightfully focuses its attention on the tragic toll COVID-19 has taken on our state, I grieve for those lost to this virus. I'm frustrated and angry beyond words that COVID-19 still threatens not just lives but our economy, our jobs, our access to healthcare, our children's chances at the best possible education, and our way of life. Read more from Dr. Richard Carmona, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States, who is advising Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services on the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency preparedness. »
Public health officials around the world have explained that erectile dysfunction is not a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines, despite a viral tweet from rapper Nicki Minaj that spread the unfounded claim. Read more»
Stop the spreadThe Pima County Health Department asks the public to help stop community spread of COVID-19 by taking the following steps: - Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu
- Wear a mask when indoors, at schools and in public places
- Wash your hands frequently
- Limit gathering in public spaces
- Limit travel that is not essential
- Get tested if you have COVID-like symptoms
- Isolate for 10 days from others if you test positive
- Quarantine if you are exposed to someone who tests positive
Join thousands of our fellow Tucsonans and Southern Arizona residents in a healthy discussion of how we're all dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak in TucsonSentinel.com's TUCSON CORONAVIRUS UPDATES group on Facebook. Read more»
Rodney Glassman, the former Democratic Tucson City Councilman and U.S. Senate candidate, is continuing his apparent quest to run for every elected office in Arizona, this time setting his sights on the Republican primary for state attorney general. READ ALL ABOUT IT from TucsonSentinel's Dylan Smith »
What the Devil won't tell you, columnist Blake Morlock will
"AHAHHAHAHAHHAHA!" That was my reaction to the news Rodney Glassman is running for Arizona Attorney General. Read more from Morlock (who once worked for a Glassman campaign) »
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