Jacob Dindinger, a 20-year-old male, was a newly minted Emergency Medical Technician in Tucson, Arizona, with just four months on the job when his life was tragically cut short. On July 18, 2021, he and his partner were staged in their ambulance at Silverlake Park, on standby for an unrelated incident near a house fire. It was there that a man approached their vehicle and, without warning, opened fire into the cab.
Dindinger was struck in the head, while his partner sustained gunshot wounds to her arm and chest. Despite her own serious injuries, she was able to radio for help and provide a description of the assailant.
The gunman, identified as 35-year-old Stephen Scarlett, continued his violent rampage after the initial shooting. He proceeded to the scene of the house fire where he shot at firefighters and neighbors who were trying to help. In this subsequent chaos, a neighbor named Cory Saunders was killed, and a fire captain was injured. The deadly spree concluded when Scarlett was confronted by a police officer and was fatally wounded in the ensuing shootout. Investigators later determined that the house fire had been intentionally set by Scarlett.
Jacob Dindinger was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and fought for his life for nearly two weeks. He succumbed to his injuries on July 29, 2021. His death brought the total number of fatalities from the incident to four, including the suspect. Dindinger, who was inspired to pursue a career as a first responder by his older brother, a firefighter, was remembered as a dedicated professional with aspirations of attending paramedic school.
