Loughner, a 22-year-old Tucson man who was fixated on Giffords, was arrested at the scene.[13]Federal prosecutors filed five charges against him, including the attempted assassination of a member of Congress and the assassination of a federal judge.[10][14][15] Loughner previously had been arrested once (but not convicted) on a minor drug charge[16] and had been suspended by his college for disruptive behavior. Court filings include notes handwritten by Loughner indicating he planned to assassinate Giffords.[14] Loughner did not cooperate with authorities, invoking hisright to remain silent.[9] He was held without bail and indicted on 49 counts. In January 2012, Loughner was found by a federal judge to beincompetent to stand trial based on twomedical evaluations, which diagnosed him withparanoid schizophrenia.[17] On August 7, Loughner had a hearing in which he was judged competent. He pleaded guilty to 19 counts, and in November 2012 was sentenced tolife in prison.
Following the shooting, American and international politicians expressed grief and condemnations.Gun control advocates pushed for increased restrictions on the sale of firearms and ammunition, specificallyhigh-capacity magazines.[18] Some commentators criticized the use of harsh political rhetoric in the U.S., with a number blaming thepolitical right wing for the shooting. In particular,Sarah Palin was criticized for a poster byher political action committee that featured stylizedcrosshairs on an electoral map that included Giffords. Palin rejected claims that she bore any responsibility for the shooting.[19][20] PresidentBarack Obama leda nationally televised memorial service on January 12, and other memorials took place.
Roadside sign for the "Congress on Your Corner" constituent meeting
The shooting took place on January 8, 2011, at 10:10 A.M.MST (17:10UTC).[21][22] A United States Representative from Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, was holding a constituent meeting called "Congress on Your Corner"[15][23] at theSafeway supermarket in La Toscana Village mall, which is in Casas Adobes, acensus-designated place north ofTucson.[24] Giffords had set up a table outside the store and about 20 to 30 people were gathered around her when a 22-year-old man named Jared Lee Loughner suddenly drew a pistol and shot Giffords in the head.[25][26] The shooting was caught on video by a store security camera, but was not released to the public.[22][27]
Weapons recovered from perpetrator; knife, four magazines, Glock 19
Loughner proceeded to fire apparently randomly at other members of the crowd.[7][28] He was armed with aGlock 19semi-automatic pistol with fourmagazines, two of which were capable of holding 33 rounds.[29][30][5][6] A nearby store employee said he heard "15 to 20 gunshots".[31] Loughner stopped to reload, but dropped the loaded magazine from his pocket to the sidewalk, from where bystander Patricia Maisch grabbed it.[32] Another bystander, Roger Salzgeber, clubbed the back of the assailant's head with a folding chair, injuring his elbow in the process.[33] Loughner was tackled to the ground byBill Badger, a 74-year-old retiredUnited States ArmyColonel[34] who had also been shot himself. Loughner was further subdued by Maisch, Salzgeber and bystander Joseph Zamudio. Zamudio, aconcealed weapon (CCW) permit holder, had a weapon on his person, but arrived after the shooting had stopped and did not draw his firearm.[35] Thirty-one shell casings were found at the scene by investigators.[36]
The first call from the scene to emergency services was received at 10:11 A.M.[21] While waiting for help to arrive, Giffords's internDaniel Hernández Jr. applied pressure to the gunshot wound on her forehead, and made sure she did not choke on her blood. Hernández and local paramedic Aaron Rogers are credited with saving Giffords's life.[37][38] David and Nancy Bowman, a married doctor and nurse couple who were shopping in the store, immediately set uptriage and attended to nine-year-old Christina-Taylor Green.[11] Police arrived on the scene at 10:15 A.M., with paramedics arriving at 10:16 A.M.[39] Badger observed the assailant attempting to discard a small bag containing money and identification, which was recovered by the officers.[40] Following the shooting, the police shut down roads surrounding the shopping center until late in the day. The intersection was cordoned off and most of the businesses in the shopping center were closed throughout the weekend during the initial investigation.[41] The Safeway store reopened a week later, with a makeshift memorial erected near the front of the store.[42]
Five people died at the scene,[43] including Chief Judge John Roll and Giffords's community outreach director Gabe Zimmerman.[7][10] Several of the injured were taken toUniversity Medical Center in Tucson.[44] Christina-Taylor Green was later pronounceddead on arrival at the hospital.[9][45]
When Loughner's parents arrived at their home, unaware of the shootings, they found police tape and police cars around their house. Their neighbor Wayne Smith said Loughner's mother "almost passed out right there", while his father sat in the road and cried. Smith described the family as "devastated", feeling guilty, and wondering "where did they fail?"[46] Loughner's parents released a statement three days later expressing remorse for the victims and saying, "We don't understand why this happened."[47]
La Toscana Village mall. The attack occurred near theSafeway main entrance, which is below the gable-end.[48]
Police investigate the crime scene, seen here around two hours after the attack.
Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect, was described as a white male in his mid-20s who had short hair and "dressed in a shabby manner". He was arrested after being detained by bystanders,[8][49][50] and police later released his name and details.[49] TheFBI attempted to question Loughner, but he reportedly refused to cooperate with authorities and invoked hisFifth Amendment rights.[8][9][51] Authorities claimed that Loughner's motive was unknown.[9] They said that evidence seized from a safe in Loughner's home included an envelope marked with notes reading "I planned ahead", "My assassination", and "Giffords", as well as a letter from Giffords's office thanking him for attending a similar event in 2007.[14][52]
Federal officials charged Loughner the next day with killing federal government employees, attempting to assassinate a member of Congress and attempting to kill federal employees.[53][54][55] Police reports reveal he had purchased a Glock pistol at aSportsman's Warehouse store, after passing the required FBI background check,[56] less than six weeks before and attempted to buy additional ammunition for the pistol at aWalmart on the morning of the shooting,[57] but the clerk refused to sell it to him based on his appearance and demeanor.[58][59]
Jared Lee Loughner, then age 22, lived with his parents Randy and Amy Loughner in Tucson,[62] about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the site of the shooting.[49][62] His mother worked for the City Parks Department; his father's work was not known.[63] Loughner had been attendingPima Community College. Former classmates stated Loughner (at the time) cared about his education due to his appreciation of knowledge.[63] Because of teacher and student complaints about Loughner's increasingly disruptive behavior in classes, the college suspended him on September 29, 2010, and he dropped out of the school in October.[62][63] Loughner chose not to return, as the college required him to have amental health evaluation and clearance to be readmitted.[62][63]
Before the shooting, Loughner had two previous offenses, one of which was for drug possession.[64] He had become obsessed with Giffords[65] and had previously met her at a "Congress on your Corner" event in a Tucson mall in August 2007.[66]
U.S. Army officials said that Loughner had attempted to enlist in 2008, but his application had been rejected as "unqualified" for service.[63] They declined further disclosure due to confidentiality rules.[49][62][67] An administration official indicated to the media that Loughner had failed a drug test.[68]
Loughner had been posting material online for some time via hisMyspace account and on YouTube under the name "Classitup10".[62][69][70] He gave his views on terrorism, federal laws, and his belief that the government wasbrainwashing the citizenry with language.[62][64][70][71] Hours before the incident, Loughner's Myspace page was updated with posts from his account stating, "Goodbye", and said to friends: "Please don't be mad at me."[62][72][73]
On November 30, 2010, Loughner purchased aGlock 19 semi-automatic pistol at aSportsman's Warehouse store in Tucson, passing a background check.[1]
Earlier on the day of the shooting, Loughner reportedly had an altercation with his father regarding a black bag the younger man took from a car trunk.[74] A bag matching the description was later found in a nearby desert area containing 9mm ammunition, and it is believed to belong to Loughner.[75] Later that morning, at approximately 7:30 A.M., Loughner was stopped by anArizona Game and Fish Department officer after running a red light, but was released with a warning when it was determined that he did not have any outstanding warrants.[74]
On January 19, 2011, a federalgrand jury handed down an indictment for three counts against Loughner for the attempt to assassinate Representative Giffords, and attempting to kill two federal employees, her aidesRon Barber and Pamela Simon.[83] Loughner was indicted on additional charges of murder and attempted murder on March 3, for a total of 49 counts.[84]
Prosecutors representing the state of Arizona filed murder and attempted murder charges on behalf of the victims who were not federal employees. Under Arizona'sspeedy trial statutes, Arizona state prosecutors normally have ten days from the time a suspect is taken into custody to file charges, but time spent in federal custody does not count toward this limitation.[85] Conviction in either federal or state court meant that Loughner could face the death penalty.
On May 25, 2011, Judge Burns found Loughner incompetent to stand trial based on two medical evaluations. These evaluations had diagnosed him withparanoidschizophrenia.[17] Loughner was ordered to be forcibly medicated following his diagnosis ofschizophrenia.[86] A new evaluation was ordered for January 25, 2012.[87]
On February 6, 2012, his stay at theSpringfield, Missouri facility was extended by four months.[88] A request by Loughner's lawyers to end forced medication was denied.[89] Another competency hearing was set for June 27, 2012, but later rescheduled.[90][91]
On August 7, 2012, Loughner's competency hearing began with testimony from Dr. Christina Pietz, Loughner'sforensic psychologist, who testified that she believed Loughner was competent to stand trial. After hearing the evidence, Judge Burns ruled that Loughner was competent to stand trial, whereupon Loughner pleaded guilty to 19 counts.[92]
On November 8, 2012, Loughner appeared for sentencing, with several of his victims as well as relatives of those he killed in attendance. Judge Burns sentenced Loughner to seven consecutive life terms plus 140 years in prison without parole.[93][94][95]
After his sentencing in federal court, Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall announced that she would not prosecute Loughner on behalf of the state of Arizona. LaWall explained that her decision would afford the victims and their families, as well as the community in Tucson and Pima County, an opportunity to move forward with their lives. She said that, after speaking and consulting personally with each of the surviving victims and with the family members of those killed, it was clear that they would not be benefitted by a state prosecution. Surviving victims and family members told LaWall that they are "completely satisfied with the federal prosecution", that "justice has been served", and that the federal sentence is "suitably severe".[96]
Dorwan Stoddard, 76, retired construction worker, died from a gunshot wound to the head; his wife Mavy was wounded.[97][108]
Gabriel "Gabe" Zimmerman, 30, community outreach director for Giffords,[8][45] and a member of Giffords's staff since 2006. Zimmerman was the first Congressional staffer killed in the line of duty.[109][110]
In addition to the 6 dead, 13 other people were wounded by gunshot in the attack, while a 14th person was injured subduing Loughner. Gabrielle Giffords and two other members of her staff were among the surviving gunshot victims.[12] StafferRon Barber, shot in the thigh and face, would later succeed Giffords in her House seat.[111]
Gabby Giffords was reported to be the target of the shootings.[8] Some news organizations initially reported she had been killed, but these statements were quickly revised to reflect that she had survived with a gunshot wound to the head.[112][113]Daniel Hernández Jr., one of Giffords's interns, assisted her after she was wounded and is credited with saving her life.[114][115][116]
Giffords was taken to University Medical Center in critical condition,[7][117] although she was still conscious. Within 38 minutes,[118] Giffords underwent emergency surgery,[119] and part of her skull was removed to prevent further brain damage caused by swelling.[118] She was placed into amedically induced coma to allow her brain to rest.[120] During a memorial ceremony on January 12, President Obama announced that earlier that day Giffords had opened her eyes for the first time since the attack.[121]
As Giffords's status improved, she began simple physical therapy and music therapy.[122] On January 21, 2011, less than two weeks after the attack, her condition was deemed sufficiently stable for her to be released to Houston'sMemorial Hermann Medical Center. A few days later she was moved to the center's Institute for Rehabilitation and Research to undergo a program of physical therapy and rehabilitation.[123][124] After examination, her Houston doctors were optimistic, saying she has "great rehabilitation potential".[125]
On August 1, 2011, she made her first public appearance on the House floor to vote in favor ofraising the debt limit ceiling. She was met with a standing ovation and accolades from her fellow members of Congress.[126] Giffords engaged in intensive rehabilitation treatments inAsheville, North Carolina, from October 25 through November 4.[127] In 2011,Mark Kelly, Giffords's husband, published a memoir,Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, crediting her with joint authorship. He wrote that Giffords vows to return to Congress, although she continues to struggle with language and has lost 50 percent of her vision in both eyes.[128] Kelly himself was electedU.S. Senator from Arizona in2020.
On January 22, 2012, Giffords announced that she would resign from her congressional seat in order to concentrate on her recovery, but promised to return to public service in the future.[129] She submitted her resignation on January 25 on the floor of the House where her colleagues and the House leadership offered their tributes to her courage and strength.[130]
In the wake of the shooting, Democrats and Republicans both called for a cooling of political rhetoric and a return tobipartisanship.[19] On the eve of the shooting, Giffords had written to a Republican friend,Trey Grayson, Secretary of State of Kentucky, saying, "we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down."[131] In March 2010, Giffords had expressed concern about the use of crosshairs on anational midterm election map onSarah Palin's campaign webpage denoting targeted congressional seats, including Giffords', in Arizona's 8th district. Shortly after the map's posting and the subsequent vandalizing of her office that month, Giffords said, "We're in Sarah Palin's 'targeted' list, but the thing is that the way she has it depicted, we're in thecrosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they've got to realize that there are consequences to that action." At that point in the interview, however, the interviewer said, "campaign rhetoric and war rhetoric have been interchangeable for years."[28][132] The image was removed from Palin's "takebackthe20" website following the January shootings.[132][133][134] Palin responded to her critics in a January 12 video, rejecting the notion that anyone other than the gunman could bear any responsibility for the Tucson shooting, and accusing the press of manufacturing a "blood libel" to blame her and theright wing for the attacks.[20][135][136] No link was proven between the crosshairs map and the shooting, and it is unclear whether Loughner ever saw the map.[137]
The political climate in the United States and in Arizona in particular was pointed to by some observers as a possible contributing factor for the violent act. For example,Clarence Dupnik, Pima County Sheriff, initially expressed concern that overheated political rhetoric and violence may be related, observing, "When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous." He believed that Arizona had unfortunately become "the capital" of such feelings. "We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry," he said.[138][139] But, Dupnik later said that he had no evidence that the killings were a result of anything particular which Loughner may have read or heard.[140] International media referred to the political climate in the United States and the Palin map in particular.[141][142][143][144][145] The French newspaperLe Monde said that the attack seemed to confirm "an alarming premonition that has been gaining momentum for a long time: that the verbal and symbolic violence that the most radical right-wing opponents have used in their clash with theObama administration would at some point lead to tragic physical violence."[146] President Obama called the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy", adding that "such asenseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society".[147] Arizona GovernorJan Brewer called the attack "senseless and cruel violence"[148] and House SpeakerJohn Boehner said, "An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve. Acts and threats of violence against public officials have no place in our society".[149]Chief JusticeJohn Roberts issued a statement noting, "we in the judiciary have suffered the terrible loss of one of our own", with the death of Chief Judge John Roll.[150]
Some media commentators, such asHoward Kurtz andToby Harnden, criticized what they perceived as a rush to judgment about the shooter's motivation, disputing suggestions that the shooting was the result of theTea Party movement or anything in connection to Palin.[159][160][161][162]Paul Krugman wrote anop-ed piece arguing that political rhetoric had become toxic.[163] With renewed calls to tone down political rhetoric after the shooting,[164][165][166]Keith Olbermann said, "Violence, or the threat of violence, has no place in our Democracy, and I apologize for and repudiate any act or any thing in my past that may have even inadvertently encouraged violence."[164]Jon Stewart stated that he did not know whether or not the political environment contributed to the shooting, but, "For all the hyperbole and vitriol that's become a part of our political process—when the reality of that rhetoric, when actions match the disturbing nature of words, we haven't lost our capacity to be horrified. ... Maybe it helps us to remember to match our rhetoric with reality more often."[166]
U.S. flags flown by the federal government were displayed at half-staff from January 9, 2011, until sunset on January 15, 2011, in honor of the victims of the Tucson shooting.[167] A national moment of silence was held at 11:00 a.m.EST on January 10, 2011, on theSouth Lawn of the White House as well as the steps of theUnited States Capitol.[168] President Obama went to Tucson on January 12, where he met with the families of the victims and visited Giffords at her bedside in the medical center before attending the evening's televised memorial ceremony where he delivereda memorial speech.[169]
When the Safeway store reopened after the shooting, the staff erected a makeshift memorial.[42] At the2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (the first to take place in Arizona), Giffords's intern, Daniel Hernandez Jr., was accompanied onto the field by the families of the shooting victims, and threw the ceremonial first pitch.[170] For the2011 State of the Union Address, SenatorMark Udall of Colorado proposed that members of both houses sit together regardless of party, with one seat left empty in honor of Giffords.[171]
Christina-Taylor Green, the youngest of the victims, had an interest in politics and said that she had wanted to attend college atPenn State University;[172] she was born in Pennsylvania and had a connection to the state through her grandfather,Dallas Green.[173][174] The university honored her with a brick on the Alumni Walk on campus, and with a certificate in her memory.[173]
On the night of January 11, 2011, Governor Brewer signed emergency legislation to prohibit protests within 300 feet (91 m) of any funeral services, in response to an announcement by theWestboro Baptist Church that it planned to picket the funeral of shooting victim Christina-Taylor Green.[175][176] The members of the congregation agreed to appear on talk radio in exchange for dropping their plans to picket the funeral.[177]
On Sunday, January 16, 2011, eight days after the shooting, Vietnam War veteran James Eric Fuller, who had been shot in the knee during the attack, was arrested for disorderly conduct at a town hall meeting. After Tucson Tea Party figure Trent Humphries, who had faulted Giffords for not having enough security, stated that gun control measures should not be discussed until all those killed in the shooting were buried, Fuller allegedly took a picture of Humphries and shouted, "You're dead." In an interview during the week after the shooting, Fuller had criticized Palin and what he called the "Tea Party crime-syndicate" for promoting a divisive political climate before the attacks.[23] The police then committed him to an undisclosed medical facility to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. A police spokesman stated that the hospital will determine when he will be released.[178] Meanwhile, Humphries said he was worried about Fuller's threat, and the dozens of other angry e-mails he received from people blaming right-wing political rhetoric for contributing to the assassination attempt on Giffords.[179]
^abHorwitz, Sari; Hedgpeth, Dana; Fahrenthold, David (January 12, 2011)."Investigators probe Loughner's gun purchase, examine finances".The Washington Post.Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. RetrievedJuly 25, 2018.The investigators believe that Loughner, 22, did not have sufficient income of his own to buy the Glock 19 semiautomatic handgun, the four magazines and the knife he allegedly carried to the event in front of a Tucson supermarket, the sources said. They estimated the cost at close to $1,000. Two of the magazines were extended ones capable of holding up to 33 rounds.
^abMontopoli, Brian (January 12, 2011)."Will Tucson Tragedy Shift Gun Control Debate?".CBS News.Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. RetrievedJuly 26, 2018.What they have spent less time discussing are the tools that allowed Loughner to allegedly carry out the attack – the high powered weapon and ammunition that helped him do so much damage so quickly. Arizona has some of the laxest gun laws in the nation, laws that allowed Loughner to purchase and carry a Glock 19 9mm semi-automatic pistol – and high-capacity clips – despite the fact that he was barred from his community college campus because administrators saw him as a mentally-unstable security threat...The clip allegedly used by Loughner, which allows for 33 shots without reloading instead of about 10 in a normal clip, would have been illegal under the assault weapons ban that Congress let expire in 2004.
^Barrett, Paul M. (January 13, 2011)."Glock: America's Gun".Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived fromthe original on August 21, 2013. RetrievedJanuary 15, 2012.
^Innes, Stephanie (September 1, 2011)."Born, died between 2 tragedies".Arizona Daily Star.Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2011.
^Posnanski, Joe (January 24, 2011)."A Death in The Family".Sports Illustrated. Archived fromthe original on November 3, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 22, 2011.Everyone says Christina had Roxanna's grace and John's spirit.
^"Global worry: Tucson attack augur more violent US?". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. January 10, 2011.Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. RetrievedJanuary 15, 2011.In Paris, the newspaperLe Monde said the attack seemed to confirm "an alarming premonition that has been gaining momentum for a long time: that the verbal and symbolic violence that the most radical right-wing opponents have used in their clash with the Obama administration would at some point lead to tragic physical violence."
^Obama, Barack (January 8, 2011)."The President's Statement on the Attack in Arizona". The White House.Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. RetrievedJanuary 13, 2011.This morning, in an unspeakable tragedy, a number of Americans were shot in Tucson, Arizona, at a constituent meeting with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. And while we are continuing to receive information, we know that some have passed away, and that Representative Giffords is gravely wounded. We do not yet have all the answers. What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society. I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping Representative Giffords, the victims of this tragedy, and their families in our prayers.
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