Savannah Narcaroti

A bright light in the Tucson, Arizona, performing arts community was extinguished in a senseless act of violence on October 19, 2021. Savannah Narcaroti, a 21-year-old White woman, was remembered by her father as packing “a lot of power, a lot of energy” into her small frame. A gifted singer and dancer, she was a star at Kids Unlimited, a non-profit performing arts school where her teacher described her as “sunshine walking into the room.” Her passion for the stage was a defining part of a life that was tragically cut short.

On that Tuesday afternoon around 4:20 p.m., Savannah was a passenger in a car being driven by a male companion in a midtown Tucson neighborhood. An infant was also in the vehicle. They became involved in a road rage incident with two people on a motorcycle. The confrontation escalated when the man on the motorcycle, Justin Clark Nichols, fired several shots into the car. Both Savannah and the male driver were struck by the gunfire. They were rushed to Banner University Medical Center, where Savannah died from her injuries. The driver survived with non-life-threatening wounds, and the infant was unharmed.

Tucson Police Department homicide detectives immediately launched an investigation, releasing surveillance video to the public and asking for help in identifying the shooter. Information from the community proved crucial. The day after the shooting, on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, authorities located and arrested 30-year-old Justin Clark Nichols at a hotel. Investigators also found the stolen motorcycle used in the shooting and a .40-caliber handgun that matched shell casings collected at the scene.

Nichols was booked into the Pima County Jail and initially faced charges including first-degree murder, drive-by shooting, aggravated assault, and endangerment. In May 2023, he pleaded guilty to the charges of second-degree murder, endangerment, and discharging a firearm within city limits. At his sentencing hearing on August 11, 2023, more than 30 of Savannah’s friends and family members filled the courtroom as her parents, grandparents, and brother read victim impact statements. Nichols apologized to the family, stating he did not know she was in the car.

The judge sentenced Justin Clark Nichols to 20 years in prison. The case was officially closed with his sentencing in August 2023. To honor Savannah's memory and her love for performing, her family and the Kids Unlimited community established the Savannah Narcaroti Performing Arts Scholarship to help young, aspiring performers follow in her footsteps.