Updated 01/09 5:25 p.m.:
A woman was fatally shot by Tucson police officers after she pointed a firearm at officers responding to reports of shots fired on the city’s south side late Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, police said.
According to a Tucson Police Department statement, officers from the department’s Midtown Operations Division responded at about 10:00 p.m. to the 1900 block of South Montezuma Avenue after a 9-1-1 caller reported hearing a female yelling and the sound of a gunshot. When officers arrived they encountered 34-year-old Leana Estrada standing in the yard holding a firearm. Officers say they gave multiple commands to drop the weapon; Estrada did not comply and pointed the firearm at officers, who then fired. Estrada was struck by gunfire.
Officers immediately provided medical aid until Tucson Fire Department personnel transported Estrada to a local hospital. She later died from her injuries. No officers or other members of the public were reported injured.
The two involved Tucson officers were identified as Officer Chase Bryan, with three years of service, and Officer Dennis Simmons, with nearly two years of service. The department did not release additional details about the sequence of shots or the number of rounds fired.
The Pima Regional Critical Incident Team (PRCIT) was activated to lead the criminal investigation. PRCIT is a multi-agency team that includes investigators from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Oro Valley, Marana, Pascua Yaqui, Sahuarita, University of Arizona and other local police agencies. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has been assigned as the primary investigative agency, while the Tucson Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards will conduct a separate, parallel administrative review of the officers’ actions. As is standard, all investigative findings will be forwarded to the Pima County Attorney’s Office once the probe is complete.
