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2011 Tucson shooting

Coordinates: 32°20′9.5″N 110°58′30.5″W / 32.335972°N 110.975139°W / 32.335972; -110.975139
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2011 Tucson shooting
Location of the shooting
LocationCasas Adobes, Arizona (part of Tucson metro area)
Coordinates32°20′9.5″N 110°58′30.5″W / 32.335972°N 110.975139°W / 32.335972; -110.975139
DateJanuary 8, 2011
Shortly after 10 a.m. local time (UTC-7)
TargetU.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords
Attack type
Shooting
Weapons9x19mm Parabellum Glock 17 pistol
Deaths6[1]
Injured12 or 13[2]

The 2011 Tucson shooting occurred on Saturday, January 8, 2011. Eighteen people were shot, six of them fatally, during a United States congresswoman's constituency meeting held in a supermarket parking lot near Tucson, Arizona.[4][5] The dead include a nine-year-old girl; Gabe Zimmerman, a congressional aide; and John Roll, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.[4][1][5] U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat representing Arizona's 8th congressional district, was shot through the head at close range and is in very critical condition.[5][6][4] Authorities have said Giffords was the target of the attack.[4] A 22-year-old local man, Jared Lee Loughner, was arrested in connection with the incident,[3] and is being questioned by the FBI.[4] The police are also "actively pursuing"[5] a possible accomplice, said to be a man in his 50s.[4]

Shooting

The shooting took place shortly after 10 a.m. MST. A United States Representative from Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, was holding a constituent meeting called "Congress on Your Corner"[7] at a Safeway supermarket in the La Toscana Village shopping center just outside of Tucson.[5] According to an eyewitness, Giffords had set up a table outside the store. About 20 to 30 people were gathered around her when the gunman arrived and shot Giffords in the side of the head at point-blank range.[1] A witness said he heard "15 to 20 gunshots". The first 9-1-1 call was made at 10:11 a.m.[1] Federal judge John Roll and Giffords's congressional aide and community outreach director Gabe Zimmerman were among the dead.[1] In total, six people were killed according to the The Arizona Republic newspaper.[1] At least two other victims with gunshot wounds were transported to the Northwest Medical Center, reported CNN. A 9-year old girl, Christina Taylor Green,[8] was pronounced dead at the hospital.[5] Four people were listed in critical condition.[6] The weapon used is reported to be a 9x19mm Parabellum Glock 17 pistol[5] with an extended magazine.[1] Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik stated that there was the possibility of other suspects being sought, but did not give specific information. He also stated that a "suspicious package" was being investigated at the local constituency offices of the Congresswoman.[9] The package turned out not to be an explosive.[10]

Gabrielle Giffords

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona 8)

Many news organizations initially reported that Gabrielle Giffords had been fatally injured, but these statements were soon amended to reflect that she was in critical condition.[11][12][13] Giffords survived the attack and underwent emergency surgery,[1] reported the Washington Post.[14] According to Dr. Peter Rhee[15] from University Medical Center in Tucson, the bullet went "through and through" Giffords's skull and brain, entering and exiting on one side of her head.[16] Giffords is currently in critical care under anesthesia.[1][17]

Investigation

The Safeway store was closed after the attack. The gunman, described as a white male in his mid-20s with short hair and "dressed in a shabby manner", was arrested after being detained by bystanders.[7][18][19] Police identified the suspect as Jared Lee Loughner, born September 1988.[20] He was a resident of Tucson living on Soledad Avenue at the time, which is five miles away from the site of the shooting.[20] Although little was initially known about the suspect,[21][22] his deleted Myspace page[23][24] was promptly retrieved.[25] Grant Wiens, who attended high school and college with Loughner, described him as "kind of an interesting character" who kept to himself and was opinionated.[1] According to court records, Loughner had two previous offenses, one of which was for drug possession.[26] Caiti Parker, who knew the suspect in high school four years ago, described him as a loner and political radical who was left-wing or liberal at the time and obsessed with the 2012 phenomenon.[26] The U.S. Army confirmed that Loughner had been rejected as "unqualified" from the service in 2008, but declined to further disclose their reasons for doing so under confidentiality rules.[20][27][28]

Since the shooting took place in Casas Adobes, an unincorporated area outside of Tucson city limits, the city police do not have jurisdiction. Instead, the Pima County Sheriff's Department started the initial investigation, with assistance from the Tucson Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.[29] Jason Ogan, the spokesperson of the Pima County Sheriff's Department, has stated that "the motive for the shooting remains unclear".[5] FBI Director Robert Mueller has been ordered to the location by President Obama, and the FBI is ready to take over the investigation.[30] The Capitol Police are also conducting an investigation.[18] Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik stated that the suspect had a YouTube channel under an account called "ClassItUp10",[31][32][33] which states among other things that some of Loughner's favorite books are Mein Kampf, We the Living, Plato's Republic and the Communist Manifesto; one video told viewers, "You don't have to accept the federalist laws", called for a return to the gold standard, and accused the government of mind-controlling and brainwashing the citizenry.[26][33]

Police said they were also looking for a second suspect, a white male aged 50, but declined to reveal his identity.[34]

Reactions

President Barack Obama called the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy," and said, "What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society."[35] Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said, "My thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords and her family, the Congresswoman's staff and their families, as well as the other victims of this senseless and cruel violence."[36]

Other elected officials from across the United States spoke publicly regarding the shooting, including Arizona's United States Senators Jon Kyl[37] and John McCain,[38] House Majority Leader Eric Cantor,[39] House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,[39] Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ),[36] Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ),[36] Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ),[36] Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ),[36] Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,[39] Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen[36] and Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett.[36] Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin offered "sincere condolences".[40]

The New York Times reported that the shooting raised concerns that American politics had become too heated.[41] Giffords had previously criticized a website created by the Sarah Palin Action Committee that used the image of a cross hair to note targeted congressional seats for the 2010 midterm elections, of which Giffords' was one. The website was taken down soon after the shooting.[41] Geraldo Rivera of Fox News Channel remarked that, "However unfair the link is, I think that this event affects Sarah Palin’s at least short term political future."[42]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Arizona Congresswoman Giffords shot in Tucson". The Arizona Republic. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  2. ^ "US congresswoman shot in head by gunman". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 January 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Jared Lee Loughner Identified As Gabrielle Giffords Shooter". huffingtonpost.com. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Marc Lacey and David M. Herszenhorn (January 9, 2011). "In Attack's Wake, Political Repercussions". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h CNN Wire Staff (2011-01-11). "Police 'actively pursuing' second person in Tucson shooting". CNN. Retrieved 2011-01-08. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ a b "US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot in Arizona". BBC News. 2011-01-08.
  7. ^ a b "Safeway Store Closed After Mass Shooting". kpho.com. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  8. ^ Gonzalez, Daniel (2011-01-08). "Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords: The victims". azcentral.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  9. ^ Live Press Conference, CNN 20:12 EST
  10. ^ Myers, Amanda Lee. "Suspicious package found outside Gifford's office was non-explosive". The Associated Press. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  11. ^ Moos, Julie (January 8, 2011). "After conflicting reports in Arizona shooting, Sklar, Silverman track media mistakes while NPR's Folkenflik explains on Twitter". Poynter Institute. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  12. ^ Hagey, Keach (January 8, 2011). "NPR: We regret the erroneous news". Politico. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  13. ^ Memmott, Mark (January 8, 2011). "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Many Others, Shot; At Least Six Dead". National Public Radio. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  14. ^ "Hospital: Rep. Giffords expected to recover from Tucson shooting that killed six including a child and federal judge". The Washington Post. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  15. ^ "UMC, UA Appoints U.S. Navy Veteran Dr. Peter Rhee Director of Trauma". UANews.org. 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  16. ^ "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was target of shooter; accomplice suspected", Politico, 1/8/11 1:36 PM EST Updated: 1/8/11 9:07 PM EST -- see video link on page. See also "Giffords shot in head; federal judge, 5 others killed at Tucson rally", Dylan Smith, Tucson Sentinel, January 8, 2011, 12:13 pm. Gabrielle Giffords was "shot through and through on one side of the head," said Rhee. The bullet passed through Giffords' brain," he said.
  17. ^ Rhee, Peter (2011-01-08). "Hospital Update on Tucson Shooting". Tuscon, Arizona: YouTube. Associated Press. 01m0s. "I'm very optimistic about [Giffords'] recovery. [...] The person that did die here at the hospital was a young child. [...] Gabrielle Gifford's condition was very optimistic and she was following commands. This press conference was also replayed on CNN in the United States, including at 23:00 UTC/6:02 p.m. EST/4:02 p.m. MST.
  18. ^ a b "Congresswoman Giffords Shot in Tucson". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  19. ^ "AP sources: Ariz. gunman ID'ed as Jared Laughner". Associated Press. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  20. ^ a b c "Profile of Jared Loughner: 'I can't trust the current government'". MSNBC. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  21. ^ EPA/Gary M. Williams. "Gunman in shooting of Ariz. congresswoman identified as Jared Lee Loughner, 22". NJ.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  22. ^ "Jared Lee Loughner Identified As Gabrielle Giffords Shooter (INFO, VIDEOS)". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  23. ^ Albanesius, Chloe (2011-01-08). "MySpace Removes Profile of Alleged Arizona Shooter". PC Magazine. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  24. ^ Shafer, Jack; Tapper, Jake; Balko, Radley; Marshall, Josh; Smith, Ben; Kirn, Walter; Lithwick, Dahlia; Maddow, Rachel; Davis, Susan; Homans, Charles; Silverman, Craig (2011-01-08), The Giffords Shooting, Slate, retrieved 2011-01-08
  25. ^ Weisenthal, Joe (2011-01-08). "Gunman Identified As Jared Lee Loughner". Business Insider. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  26. ^ a b c Swaine, Jon (2011-01-08). "Gabrielle Giffords shooting: strange internet trail of 'loner' Jared Lee Loughner, the alleged Tucson gunman". The Telegraph.
  27. ^ U.S. Army Statement on status of suspect, U.S. Army Information Service, 19:46 EST January 8, 2011 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Steller, Tim (2011-01-08). "Man linked to Giffords shooting called 'very disturbed'". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  29. ^ CNN live broadcast
  30. ^ Spotts, Pete. "Arizona shooting: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords hit at meeting with constituents". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  31. ^ Loughner, Jared Lee (2010-12-15). "Classitup10's Channel". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  32. ^ "Arizona massacre suspect: 'Kind of a troubled past'". CNN. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  33. ^ a b Grinberg, Emanuella (2011-01-08). "Witness: Arizona gunman 'was ready for war'". CNN. Retrieved 2011-01-09. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  34. ^ Halloran, Liz (2011-01-08). "6 Killed, Congresswoman Injured In Ariz. Shooting". NPR. KPBS. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  35. ^ "The President's Statement on the Attack in Arizona". Whitehouse.gov. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g "Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot: reaction". Azcentral.com. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  37. ^ "In quotes: Arizona, federal leaders speak out on shootings". bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  38. ^ "McCain: Shooting a 'terrible, terrible' tragedy". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  39. ^ a b c "In quotes: Reaction to Arizona shooting". BBC News Online. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  40. ^ "Palin offers condolences to Giffords family". KSPR. Perkin Media, LLC. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  41. ^ a b "Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics". The New York Times. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  42. ^ Alvarez, Alex (January 9, 2011). "Fox's Geraldo On Arizona Shooting: "This Event Affects Sarah Palin's Political Future"". Mediaite. Retrieved January 9, 2011.

US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot at Arizona supermarket at Wikinews

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