TUCSON, AZ — Three inmates were killed during an "altercation" Friday morning at the Arizona State Prison Complex Tucson.
According to the Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry, there is no continued ongoing threat.
The ADCRR's Office of the Inspector General has begun an initial criminal investigation related to the inmates' deaths, a news release stated.
On Friday evening, officials confirmed the deaths of inmates, Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage, and Donald Lashley.
The sole suspect was identified as inmate Ricky Wassenaar.
Officials say a preliminary report suggests Wassenaar acted with intent to harm the three men. An investigation remains ongoing and further details of the killings haven't been released.
In 2005, Wassenaar was convicted on 19 charges, including kidnapping, dangerous or deadly assault by prisoner, aggravated assault, sexual assault, and first-degree escape for his involvement in the 2004 hostage situation at the ASPC-Lewis.
Regarding the inmates killed on Friday, ADCRR released the following information:
- Inmate Saul Alvarez, ADCRR #138773, was admitted to ADCRR custody in 2004 after being sentenced out of Maricopa County for First Degree Murder. He was housed at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Tucson.
- Inmate Thorne Harnage, ADCRR #372231, was admitted to ADCRR custody in 2024 after being sentenced out of Pima County for Sexual Conduct with a Minor. He was housed at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Tucson.
- Inmate Donald Lashley, ADCRR #364250, was admitted to ADCRR custody in 2023 after being sentenced out of Pima County for Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Molestation of a Child. He was housed at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Tucson.
The deaths are being investigated in consultation with the county medical examiner's office, the news release said.
Visitation at the ASPC was canceled for the remainder of the day.
According to the Department of Corrections website, there were 109 deaths in the Arizona State Prison system in the last fiscal year. So far in the 2025 fiscal year, there have been 96 deaths as of February, resulting from a variety of causes including natural causes, homicide and self-harm:
The table below is from the Arizona Department of Corrections February 2025 data report. According to the document, cause of death figures are subject to change based on medical examiner reports.
