A 22-year-old man was sentenced to six years in prison Monday after he previously pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in connection with the death of a man outside a Tucson hookah lounge in 2018.
Dominic Blount was initially arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder on Aug. 1, 2018, five days after an apparent gang-related shooting left Avrum Diaz, 29, dead, according to court documents.
Detectives determined Diaz was with a group of friends about to enter Casablanca Hookah Lounge, near East Speedway Boulevard and North Swan Road, when an altercation started with another group in the parking lot, Tucson police said in 2018.
A short time later, gunfire was exchanged between Diaz and at least two other people, police said. Investigators believe Blount fired his gun 11 times and Diaz at least eight times during the incident, according to court documents.
Blount showed up at a hospital that night to be treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound and was later interviewed by police detectives.
After further investigation, Tucson police said there was probable cause established to arrest Blount in connection with the deadly shooting.
Blount pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of negligent homicide in late April, said Krisanne LoGalbo, a spokeswoman for Pima County Superior Court.
