Tucson mass shooting suspect pleads not guilty to 29 felony charges

David French pleaded not guilty during a brief court appearance, putting the downtown Tucson mass shooting on the path to a contested criminal case. The 21-year-old now faces 29 felony charges, including attempted second-degree murder, and prosecutors must prove each count beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case stems from the July 19 shooting near Congress Street in downtown Tucson, where nine people were injured, according to KVOA and News 4 Tucson. ABC News reported that at least nine people were critically injured when gunfire erupted in the busy entertainment district before police shot the suspected shooter. Pima County Attorney materials later said all nine shooting victims may survive.

French had already been indicted on attempted murder charges before entering the not-guilty plea. KOLD reported that he was ordered held without bond after the shooting, a sign the court viewed the case as serious enough to keep him in custody while the prosecution built its file. KOLD also reported that ten people were hospitalized after the shooting, and later said some victims were recovering and some had been released.

With the plea entered, the case moves into the next phase of criminal litigation. That means discovery, pretrial motions and witness preparation now take center stage, along with any disputes over the state’s evidence. In a mass shooting prosecution with multiple victims, those hearings can shape what jurors eventually hear and how the case is presented at trial.

The downtown Tucson case has already been framed against one of the city’s most infamous mass shootings, the January 8, 2011 attack that left six people dead and 13 injured. For prosecutors, the not-guilty plea means the public shock of the shooting has now shifted into a courtroom fight over evidence, testimony and the timeline for trial.