Arizona police identify the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage across 3 locations in the Tucson area

By Joe Sutton and Deanna Hackney, CNN

Police have identified in the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage that left three crime scenes in the Tucson area Sunday, including a burning house where a charred body was found.

Leslie Scarlett, 35 was identified as the suspect by Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus during a Monday night press conference.

Scarlett has a criminal history that includes serving six years in prison for armed robbery and is a “prohibited possessor” of a firearm, Magnus said.

Scarlett is currently hospitalized and in extremely critical condition, following Sunday’s gunfire exchange with police, according to Magnus. It has not yet been determined what charges Scarlett will face, he said.

Burning residence and gunfire exchanged

The series of incidents began when fire personnel responded to a call that a house was on fire Sunday afternoon.

The crew reported that a vehicle was following them into the neighborhood and then reported that shots had been fired. Less than two minutes later, firefighters radioed that a fire captain had been shot.

The gunman, now identified as Scarlett, shot at firefighters as well as at neighbors who came out to help, ultimately injuring two people, according to Magnus.

Corey Saunders, 44, died at the scene, Magnus said. He is survived by his 11-year-old son who witnessed the attack.

A short while later, a call came in for an ambulance crew that had been shot about a mile away from the fire scene.

Magnus said that Scarlett then returned to the original fire scene.

“He shot at firefighters and neighbors alike, basically anyone who was trying to help,” Magnus explained.

Scarlett then fled the scene again, ramming a Tucson police car that was responding to the incident.

Magnus identified the officer in that car as Officer Danny Leone, an eight-year veteran of the Tucson Police Department. Leone immediately got out of his vehicle and took cover as Scarlett fired three rounds at him.

The officer returned fire, striking Scarlett before he and other officers rendered first aid to Scarlett.

The fire was extinguished by the Tucson fire department and human remains were found in the house. The mother of the three children who resided in the house is unaccounted for but presumed dead.

Magnus said a motive has not yet been established in the deadly rampage.

“It is not clear what his intentions were, because he was shooting at people, you know, both neighbors and firefighters, so his intentions remain unclear,” he said, adding that they are also exploring any connections between Sunday’s fire and one from earlier this year in which Scarlett’s wife died.

“This is both a highly tragic, really horrific incident with many unknowns at this time,” Magnus said.

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CNN’s Christina Walker and Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report.