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The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is pursuing three suspects in a Wednesday morning shooting that claimed the life of a Tucson police recruit and left his fiancée with serious injuries. Investigators have secured an arrest warrant for 33-year-old Alex James Barnett, identified as one of the three men involved. The identities of the other two suspects remain undisclosed as of Friday.
Surveillance footage released Thursday evening captured images of at least two additional men dressed in black at separate locations. One clip shows a man at a gas station located at 5405 West Valencia Road around 5:20 a.m. Wednesday, while another video depicts a second individual in a parking lot near South Palo Verde Road and East 33rd Street approximately 10:50 a.m. the same day.
The suspected getaway vehicle, a gray Acura MDX SUV, was located abandoned in the parking lot and recovered by authorities Thursday. One of the unidentified suspects displays visible arm and leg tattoos, short dark hair, and a short beard, according to surveillance images. The individual captured on video dropping off the vehicle wore a sleeveless shirt and appeared only in low-quality footage.
Carlos Ramirez, 23, was killed in the attack at his residence in the 7700 block of South Enchanted Spring Drive, roughly 17 miles southwest of Tucson. Ramirez was scheduled to graduate from the police academy on August 27 and had previously served as a corrections officer for the sheriff’s department. His 23-year-old fiancée, whose name has not been released, was transported to a hospital in stable condition.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos reported that the shooting occurred around 6 a.m. Wednesday and that suspects wore all-black clothing and ski masks. The Tucson Police Department released a statement expressing deep sadness over Ramirez’s death as a member of Basic Recruit Class 26-1 and extending sympathy to his family, fiancée, and academy colleagues.
The public is urged to contact law enforcement with any information related to the case. Tipsters can reach authorities at 911 or 520-88-CRIME.
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