Ariz. Rep. Giffords in serious condition after Tucson shooting; eight others inj

[theboyzmom]

From one of his youtube videos.  So he was recruited into the Marines.  Did he actually make it into the Marines, did he serve in Afghanistan like what was originally reported?

According to the reports on CNN he did not get into the marines - I think they said he failed his psych testing but I am not positive on that part.

[Dihannah1]

From one of his youtube videos.  So he was recruited into the Marines.  Did he actually make it into the Marines, did he serve in Afghanistan like what was originally reported?

According to the reports on CNN he did not get into the marines - I think they said he failed his psych testing but I am not positive on that part.

On Fox News and the Sheriff release, they said due to privacy practices they can't reveal why he was denied, but they even admitted it will probably leaked out eventually.  But psych test would not surprise me!

[klaasend]

They just said on Foxnews that he was denied entrance in 2007 but won't at this time say why.  He did have a conviction for drugs or something in his teens. 

[klaasend]

http://www.kold.com/global/story.asp?s=13809127

Suspicious device prompts evacuation at Rep. Giffords' office
Posted: Jan 08, 2011 4:53 PM PST Updated: Jan 08, 2011 4:56 PM PST

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - Tucson Police officers have evacuated the area surrounding Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's office after finding a suspicious device near the building, police said.

Officers assigned to provide security following Saturday's shooting of Giffords found the device shortly after 5 p.m., Tucson Police spokesman Lt. Fabian Pacheco said.

The offices are located in the 1600 Block of North Swan, near Pima.

A crowd of about 30 to 40 people, including media and those holding a vigil for the deadly attack, were moved across the street as a precaution, KOLD News reporter Barbara Grijalva said.

Tucson Police have called their bomb specialists to the area to investigate the device.

Stay with KOLD News on your mobile device, TV and your computer for further updates.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/08/sheriff-suspicious-package-giffords-hq/
Sheriff: Suspicious package at Giffords HQ
January 8, 2011

TUCSON, Ariz. –  A loud noise has rattled more than 100 people attending a candle light vigil outside the headquarters of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, where authorities were investigating a suspicious package Saturday.

Police department spokesman Lt. Fabian Pacheco said an officer checking Giffords' office in Tucson had found "a real strange" device that he said resembled a coffee can and had writing on it. Pacheco would not disclose what the writing said.

A bomb squad had been working to render the device safe before the loud noise was heard. Authorities did not say if the noise was caused by contents within the package or from authorities' efforts to destroy the device and render it safe.

Pacheco said there was no threat to public safety.

The package was found after a shooting rampage that left Giffords wounded and killed six others.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities were investigating a suspicious package sent to the headquarters of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Saturday, hours after she was wounded in a shooting rampage in Tucson.

Police department spokesman Lt. Fabian Pacheco said an officer checking Giffords' office in Tucson found "a real strange" device that he described as a medal container resembling a coffee can and with writing on it. Pacheco would not disclose what the writing said.

He said authorities warned people at a candle light vigil across the street from Gifford's office that they may hear loud noise as a bomb squad worked to render the device safe, but they should not be alarmed.

Pacheco said there was no threat to public safety.

"It's been a horrible and tragic day," he said. "The prudent thing for us is to take everything seriously."

Giffords was holding a forum for constituents earlier Saturday when the violence erupted, killing six and wounding several others, including Giffords.

At the candle light vigil held, more than 100 people huddled in the cold, held candles and read signs that said "Peace," and "Just Pray."

"She's just a great person," said Margaret Robles, 64, a retired teacher's aid who knew Gifford's grandparents. "She didn't care what color, what race, if you could read or if you were a scholar. She treated you as an equal."

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik gave few other details about the possible package.

[2NJSons_Mom]

From one of his youtube videos.  So he was recruited into the Marines.  Did he actually make it into the Marines, did he serve in Afghanistan like what was originally reported?

The report I watched said he was turned down.  There was a mention of his refusal of the bible, so they may have been guessing at the reason based on this text.  I think they knew he was a loose cannon.  jmo

[klaasend]

http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/Rep-Gabrielle-Giffords-others-shot-at-Tucson-event-113135139.html

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords critical after mass shooting, 'person of interest' on the loose

by Catherine Holland

Fox 11

Posted on January 8, 2011 at 5:13 PM

Updated today at 8:15 PM

TUCSON, Ariz. -- U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is in critical condition after a shooting at a "Congress on Your Corner" event at a Safeway store in northwest Tucson Saturday morning. One suspect was taken into custody, but authorities said they are still looking for a "person of interest."

The gunman opened fire, shooting 19 people, shortly after the 10 a.m. event got under way.

Six people were killed, including Federal Judge John McCarthy Roll and a 9-year-old girl named Christina Taylor Green. Gabe Zimmerman, the director of community outreach in the congresswoman's Tuscon office, was also shot to death.

Among the wounded are two members of Giffords staff, Pam Simon and Ron Barber.

The names of the other victims have not been released.

Although there were early reports that Giffords had been killed, that was not the case. She was taken to University Medical Center in Tucson where she underwent surgery for a head wound. She is now in critical condition in the intensive care unit and has been responding to doctors' commands.

In a news conference Saturday evening, former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona described Giffords' wound as "devastating," but would not elaborate. He said doctors at UMC were cautiously optimistic.

Dr. Peter Rhee, the chief of trauma, critical care and emergency surgery at UMC, said he was "very optimistic" about Giffords' recovery. "I'm about as optimistic as you can get in this situation," he said. Rhee described Giffords' wound as "through and through" and said the next 24 hours would be critical.

Rhee said UMC had 10 patients from the shooting. At least five of them, including Giffords, remain in critical condition. In addition, Green, the 9-year-old girl, died at the hospital.

The suspect, who has been identified as Jared Lee Loughner, is in custody, but there is no information yet on a motive for the shooting. Some witnesses said Loughner, described as a clean-shaven white male, was yelling names as he opened fire.

Although authorities have not officially released any details about Loughner, 22, sources tell 3TV the Tucson resident had limited military experience and is quite active on the Internet, even launching his own YouTube channel back in October. He also had a MySpace page, but it was taken down shortly after he was identified as the suspect.

Loughner, who reportedly has a troubled past that includes a criminal history and possible mental issues, has invoked his right against self-incrimination and is not talking to investigators.

According to officials close to the investigation, Loughner told authorities he acted alone, but Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said investigators do not believe that. He said investigators believe Loughner arrived at the event with another person. Dupnik would not divulge any other details except to say that authorities are actively pursuing another individual as a "person of interest."
(snipped)

[MuffyBee]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/08/arizona-suspect-likely-facing-death-penalty-fatally-shooting-federal-judge/
Arizona Suspect Likely Facing Death Penalty for Fatally Shooting Federal Judge
January 8, 2011

A shooting rampage in Arizona Saturday killed U.S. District Judge John M. Roll, and while his death initially was overshadowed by news of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' injuries, Roll's murderer is sure to face the harshest justice provided by law.

Roll was killed while just passing through an outdoor town-hall style event called "Congress on your Corner" held by Giffords in a Safeway parking lot in Tucson.

"My understanding is he just went to the Safeway to do some shopping ... and he just stopped to chat and say hi, " C.J. Karamargin, Giffords communications director, told Fox News.

Police say suspect Jared Lee Loughner, who is in custody, killed six people, including Roll, a 9-year-old child and Giffords' aide Gabe Zimmerman, and wounded 13 others, including Giffords who was shot in the head as she met with her constituents at the start of the meeting.

Pima County, Ariz., Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said authorities believe Giffords was targeted by the shooter. But Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano said the killer is likely facing the death penalty even if he didn't target Roll or others in particular during the shooting

Napolitano said it would be a federal crime of capital murder eligible for the death sentence if the killer's motive was to prevent Roll from carrying out his judicial role.

"If on the other hand he was just killed because he happened to get in the way, then it's not a federal crime, then Arizona law would take place. He still may be exposed to the death penalty but it would be under Arizona jurisdiction and not federal."

Napolitano said a federal prosecution is likely to occur first.

"The federal government almost always takes precedence when there is a joint jurisdiction," he said, explaining that there is joint jurisdiction in the investigation because two of the targets -- Giffords and Roll -- were federal officers. Homicide is typically a state crime.

Roll was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush where he built a record that analysts say was "middle of the road."

Napolitano said that Roll wasn't a controversial jurist, didn't issue bizarre rulings that were outside the mainstream and wasn't known for interfering with the works of the state government.

"He was just a methodical, hard-working, well-respected, well-liked conservative jurist whose death is a shock to all of us in the legal community," he said.

Former Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., told Fox News that Roll was "energetic, enthusiastic, he was very thoughtful, he would always thank me for anything I was able to do for the judges." He had been working to get a federal courthouse built or located in Yuma, Ariz., to deal with the vast number of immigration cases that arise from that sector of the border.

"He made no big waves," Shadegg said. "There has been no weird rulings from him. Just a serious, conservative judge who served the people for the entirety of his adult life in one way or another."

Roll's murder drew a rare public statement from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

"We in the judiciary have suffered the terrible loss of one of our own," he said. "Chief Judge John Roll was a wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction, as attorney and judge, for more than 35 years."

"I express my deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his children, as well as the other victims and their families," Roberts continued. "Chief Judge Roll's death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it."

President Obama mentioned Roll during a brief statement in which he said he "offered the full resources of the federal government" to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

"Obviously our hearts go out to the family members of those who have been slain," he said. "We are going to get to the bottom of this, and we're going to get through this."

A statement issued on the U.S. District Court in Arizona said Roll was appointed to the federal bench in 1991, and served as chief judge of the district since 2006.

"The devoted husband, father of three, grandfather of five, and friend to all who knew him, will be greatly missed by his family and community. He was a warm, compassionate judge and inspirational leader in what is one of the busiest districts in the country. His death will leave a significant void in the District of Arizona and the entire federal judiciary, and we are all deeply saddened," the statement reads.

According to the Arizona Republic, Roll and his wife were given a protection detail from the U.S. Marshal's Service for about a month in 2009 after he presided over a $32 million civil-rights lawsuit filed by illegal immigrants against an Arizona rancher.

Roll and his family received hundreds of threatening phone calls after the judge ruled the case could go forward. But Roll didn't like the detail.

"It was unnerving and invasive," he told the newspaper. "By nature it has to be."

After four key men had been identified as threat makers, the newspaper reported, Roll followed the advice of the Marshals Service not to press charges.

[Brandi]

I am so disappointed.

They released the name of the 9 year old girl who was killed.

I firmly believe they should have withheld her name until the children in her school were in school and had access to counselors to help them through this.

But, no. They released her identity tonight. I guess because she was born on Sept. 11, 2001.

Again, I really think nobody thought this through for the children.

 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/reports-arizona-rep-gabrielle.html

Updated: 11:20 p.m.

The nine-year old girl who was killed in Saturday's shooting has been identified as Christina Taylor Greene.

Greene was born on Sep. 11, 2001, according to Tucson TV station KVOA.

The Arizona Republic reports that Greene was taken to Saturday's event by a neighbor who thought she would enjoy it.

Greene had been elected to her school's student council and had loved swimming, horseback riding, basketball and ballet, according to local reports.

[klaasend]

Brandi - I'm hoping her parents approved prior to releasing her name.

[klaasend]

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=13809398

Sheriff: Not convinced accused gunman acted alone in Giffords shooting
Posted: Jan 08, 2011 6:16 PM PST Updated: Jan 08, 2011 9:07 PM PST
Click image to enlarge

By Christopher Francis - email

TUCSON (KOLD) - Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says he's "not convinced" a man accused of opening fire at a Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords meet-and-greet acted alone.

At a press conference Saturday evening, he said investigators had reason to believe the suspected gunman came with another person, and authorities are now looking for that person.

A total of 19 people were shot, five fatally.

Congresswoman Giffords was shot in the head and was in critical condition Saturday night.

The victims who died were John Roll, 63, Christina Greene, 9, Dorthy Murray, 76, Dorwin Stoddard, 76, Phyllis Scheck, 79, and Gabriel Zimmerman, 30.

Dupnik did not identify the suspected gunman by name, but other officials have identified him as 22-year-old Jared Loughner of Tucson.  Dupnik said the accused had a troubled past.

The sheriff called it a "sad day for America."  But he also hoped Americans were upset with the  heated political rhetoric from radio and TV commentators.

"I hope that some of them or most of them are as angry as I am," he said.  "I think it's time as a country we do a little soul searching."

Dupnik expressed dismay with the "vitriolic rhetoric," especially in Arizona.  "We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry."

[klaasend]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=132766402



Details Of Suspect In Ariz Rampage Slowly Emerge

by The Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. January 9, 2011, 12:35 am ET

An initial portrait of a the man accused of shooting Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the head in an attack that also killed six people outside a Tucson grocery store slowly began to emerge Saturday, as authorities described a young man with a troubled past and neighbors recalled a 22-year-old who often kept to himself.

One former classmate said the accused gunman, Jared Loughner, often did his own thing. Another described him as a student who disrupted class with occasional outbursts.

Neighbors said Loughner wasn't hostile toward anyone but certainly didn't warm up to anyone, either.

"He was a guy in high school who definitely had his opinions on stuff and didn't seem to care what people thought of him," said Grant Wiens, 22, who told The Associated Press he went to high school and had a class at Pima Community College with Loughner.

Loughner was in custody Saturday after authorities said he opened fire outside a grocery store as Giffords, a Democrat, met with voters. The rampage left the congresswoman wounded. Arizona's chief federal judge, a 9-year-old girl and four others were killed.

Authorities said the accused gunman targeted the three-term congresswoman, but an exact motivation was not immediately known. Many questioned whether the nation's polarized political climate had played a role, even as Loughner's political views remained unclear late Saturday.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik described the gunman as mentally unstable and said he possibly acted with an accomplice.

Federal law enforcement officials poured over versions of a MySpace page that belonged to Loughner and over a YouTube video published weeks ago under an account "Classitup10" and linked to him. The MySpace page, which was removed within minutes of the gunman being identified by officials, included a mysterious "Goodbye friends" message published hours before the shooting and exhorted his friends to "Please don't be mad at me."

On his MySpace page, Loughner spoke of how he liked to read and he also wrote repeatedly about literacy, complaining that the rate was especially low in the congressional district where he lived.

"The majority of people, who reside in District-8 are illiterate hilarious. I don't control your English grammar structure, but you control your English grammar structure," he said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Wiens also said Loughner used to speak critically about religion. He also talked about how he liked to smoke pot.

"He wasn't really too keen on religion it seemed like," Grant Wiens, 22, told The Associated Press. "I don't know if floating through life is the right term or whatever, but he was really just into doing his own thing."

Loughner's MySpace profile indicated he attended and graduated from school in northwest Tucson and had taken college classes. He did not say if he was employed.

Tamara Crawley, director of the Marana Unified School District in Tucson, said Loughner attended Mountain View High School in Tucson for three years but withdrew after completing his junior year in 2006. Crawley did not know why Loughner had withdrawn from Mountain View High and it was not clear if he had transferred to another school in the area.

Lynda Sorenson said she took a math class with Loughner last summer at Pima Community College's Northwest campus and told the Arizona Daily Star he was "obviously very disturbed."

"He disrupted class frequently with nonsensical outbursts," she said.

In a Dec. 15 YouTube video, Loughner describes himself as a U.S. military recruit.

The Army released a statement indicating Loughner was not accepted.

In October 2007, Loughner was cited in Pima County for possession of drug paraphernalia, which was dismissed after he completed a diversion program, according to online records.

A year later he was charged with an unknown "local charge" in Marana near Tucson. That charge was also dismissed following the completion of a diversion program in March 2009, the Daily Star reported.

Ryan Miller, 19, was a sophomore at Mountain View when Loughner was a senior. He said Loughner was seemed like a normal kid.

"I was in shock," he said, describing his reaction to the shooting. "I didn't know what possessed someone our age to do something like this."

[Brandi]

Brandi - I'm hoping her parents approved prior to releasing her name.

Well, if they approved. I think they were not thinking of the children in her life.

 

[theboyzmom]

Brandi - I'm hoping her parents approved prior to releasing her name.

Well, if they approved. I think they were not thinking of the children in her life.

 

I agree with you Brandi - but with the relatively long delay in the announcement of her name and the wonders of modern technology, it is possible that a mass text or email or phone call went out to all the parents. I would think it would be something like what went out when Kyron went missing. I know that when there was an accident in our school district with some of our HS kids involved the school sent a text out letting us know the kids had been injured but were ok (I assume the parents gave the OK for the school to do it)

[no rose colored glasses]

Police recovered a 9mm Glock Model 19 handgun believed used in the shooting, according to senior law enforcement sources. The weapon had a extended magazine, according to a federal law enforcement source briefed on the investigation. The gun was purchased legally, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said.      Did he purchase the gun, because if he did, I can see probably a background check wasn't done.

[klaasend]

Police recovered a 9mm Glock Model 19 handgun believed used in the shooting, according to senior law enforcement sources. The weapon had a extended magazine, according to a federal law enforcement source briefed on the investigation. The gun was purchased legally, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said.      Did he purchase the gun, because if he did, I can see probably a background check wasn't done.

http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/p/gunlaws_az.htm

What Are the Gun Laws in Arizona?

From NRAILA



Caution: This summary is meant for general purposes only. Firearm laws frequently change and the following answers may not reflect changes in the laws.

Rifles and Shotguns

    * Permit to purchase rifles and shotguns? No
    * Registration of rifles and shotguns? No
    * Licensing of owners of rifles and shotguns? No
    * Permit to carry rifles and shotguns? No

Handguns

    * Permit to purchase handgun? No
    * Registration of handguns? No
    * Licensing of owners of handguns? No
    * Permit to carry handguns? Yes

Purchase:

    * It is unlawful to sell or give to a minor, without written consent of the minor's parent or legal guardian, a firearm or ammunition.

    * No state permit is required to purchase a shotgun, rifle, or handgun.

    * It is unlawful to sell or transfer a firearm to a "prohibited possessor."

Possession
No state permit is required to possess a shotgun, rifle or handgun. It is unlawful for a "prohibited possessor" to possess a firearm.

    * A prohibited possessor includes a person found to constitute a danger to himself or others pursuant to a court order and whose court ordered treatment has not been terminated.

    * Who has been convicted of a felony involving violence or possession and use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument and whose civil rights have not been restored.

    * Who is at the time of possession serving a term of imprisonment in any correctional or detention facility.

    * Who at the time of possession is serving a term of probation pursuant to a conviction for a domestic violence offense or a felony offense, parole, community supervision, work furlough, home arrest or release on any other basis or who is serving a term of probation or parole.

    * Who was previously adjudicated delinquent and who possesses, uses or carries a firearm within ten years from the date of adjudication or release for an offense that if committed as an adult would constitute first or second degree burglary, arson, murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault, sexual assault or any felony offense involving the use or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.

    * An unemancipated person under 18 not accompanied by a parent, grandparent, guardian, or a certified hunter safety instructor or certified firearms safety instructor acting with consent of the minor's parent, grandparent or guardian shall not carry or possess on his person, within his immediate control, or in or on a means of transportation a firearm in any place open to the public or on any street, highway, or on private property, except private property owned or leased by the minor or the minor's parent, grandparent, or guardian.

    * This prohibition does not apply to a person between 14 and 17 engaged in lawful hunting, marksmanship practice, transportation of an unloaded firearm for the purpose of hunting or, between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., transportation of an unloaded firearm for the purpose of marksmanship at a range or other area where the discharge of firearms is not prohibited.

((snipped))

[klaasend]

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=13810298



Authorities search for 'person of interest' in Giffords shooting
Posted: Jan 09, 2011 1:30 AM PST Updated: Jan 09, 2011 6:58 AM PST
Click image to enlarge

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - The Pima County Sheriff's Department has just released a photo of man possibly associated with the accused gunman in Saturday morning's shooting at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords town hall meeting.

Authorities are looking for a Caucasian male, approximately 40-50 years old, dark hair.  He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a dark blue jacket.

Anyone who knows the identity of this individual is asked to contact 911, 88-CRIME or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (520) 791-6974.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said Saturday he's "not convinced" the man accused of opening fire at a Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords meet-and-greet acted alone.

Dupnik said in a press conference that investigators had reason to believe the suspected gunman came with another person. Authorities are now looking for that person.

A total of 19 people were shot, five fatally.

Congresswoman Giffords was shot in the head and was in critical condition Saturday night.

The victims who died were John Roll, 63, Christina Greene, 9, Dorthy Murray, 76, Dorwin Stoddard, 76, Phyllis Scheck, 79, and Gabe Zimmerman, 30.

Dupnik did not identify the suspected gunman by name, but other officials have identified him as 22-year-old Jared Loughner of Tucson.  Dupnik said the accused had a troubled past.

The sheriff called it a "sad day for America."  But he also hoped Americans were upset with the  heated political rhetoric from radio and TV commentators.

"I hope that some of them or most of them are as angry as I am," he said.  "I think it's time as a country we do a little soul searching."

Dupnik expressed dismay with the "vitriolic rhetoric," especially in Arizona.  "We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry."

[no rose colored glasses]

By reading the gun laws in Arizona, it appears that this mentally unstable man was able to purchase a gun legally 

[klaasend]

By reading the gun laws in Arizona, it appears that this mentally unstable man was able to purchase a gun legally 

Exactly

[klaasend]

http://www.kvoa.com/news/giffords-was-first-target-says-eyewitness/

Giffords was 'first target,' says eyewitness

Posted: Jan 9, 2011 8:47 AM
Updated: Jan 9, 2011 8:49 AM

TUCSON - Dr. Steven Rayle, a former emergency room physician, was feet away from Giffords when the suspect began the shooting rampage. "I looked up just as he shot her," Dr. Rayle says. "Without hesitating, he continued to spray the people close by with bullets. There was really no place for them to go - it was kind of a constricted area."

After he was pinned down by two people at the event, Dr. Rayle says the only thing he thought he heard the suspect say was: "'You're hurting my arm' - there were no political statements or anything."

Dr. Rayle clearly saw the suspect's intentions: "She was the first target - definitely, but he did not hesitate to, at close range - point blank range, to shoot bullets into people."

Dr. Rayle says that when the suspect started shooting, he was able to jump behind a concrete pillar. The shooter moved around the pillar, and Dr. Rayle laid on the ground and pretended to be shot.

Joe Zemudio was down the concourse from the suspect, and when shots rang out, he sprang to action. "I didn't know until later he also had a knife on him. I just came running up to him - I carry a firearm, so I wasn't really afraid."

After the shooting, Dr. Rayle and a colleague checked on the victims and provided medical attention. "I checked on some of the people, I assisted in CPR."