Pima Sheriff Hunts 3 Men in Carlos Ramirez Killing, Names 33-Year-Old Suspect

Q: Were the slain Tucson police recruit and his fiancée randomly attacked, or specifically targeted by the masked shooters?

It is not yet clear, but the available facts point more toward a targeted attack than a random one. Investigators say two masked men in all-black clothing arrived and fled in a gray SUV believed to be a 2007–2013 Acura MDX, possibly missing a fuel door. The shooting happened at about 6 a.m. at the couple’s home on South Enchanted Spring Drive, where deputies found Tucson Police recruit Carlos Ramirez, 23, dead and his 23-year-old fiancée, a Pima County Sheriff’s Department corrections officer, wounded but stable. Those details matter. A pair of masked shooters arriving together at the victims’ residence in a suspected getaway vehicle suggests planning, which is generally less consistent with a random act. The fact that both victims were connected to law enforcement could also raise the possibility that they were specifically singled out, though authorities have not said that publicly. At the same time, investigators have not announced a motive, identified suspects, or said whether Ramirez and his fiancée were targeted because of their jobs, because of a personal dispute, or for some other reason. There is also no public indication so far that the shooting is linked to the other recent Tucson violence mentioned in related reports. So the most accurate answer is that police have not confirmed whether the attack was random or targeted, but the known circumstances make a specifically targeted assault appear more likely than a chance attack.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 21

Alex James Barnett, 33, is now wanted on an arrest warrant in the Wednesday shooting that killed Tucson police recruit Carlos Ramirez, 23, and wounded his 23-year-old fiancée, a Pima County corrections officer.
Surveillance video released Thursday night shows two other men in black at a Shell station on West Valencia Road around 5:20 a.m. and near South Palo Verde Road and East 33rd Street around 10:50 a.m.
A gray Acura MDX tied to the case was later abandoned near that parking lot and recovered Thursday; one unidentified man appears tattooed with short dark hair and a short beard.
The attack happened about 6 a.m. at Ramirez's home southwest of Tucson, where deputies had said multiple suspects wore all black and ski masks.
Ramirez was due to graduate from the police academy on Aug. 27, and investigators are asking anyone with information to call 911 or 520-88-CRIME.