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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
File:Tucson shoot.png
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
Weapons9mm Glock model 19 pistol
Deaths6[1]
Injured12[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 meeting with constituents held in a supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes near Tucson, Arizona.[4][5] The dead included a nine-year-old girl; a congressional aide; and John McCarthy 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, said to be the target of the attack,[4] was shot through the head at close range and is in a critical condition.[5][6][4] A 22-year-old local man, Jared Lee Loughner, was arrested at the scene,[3] and is being questioned by the FBI.[4]

Shooting

The shooting took place on January 8, 2011, shortly after 10 a.m. MST (UTC-7). 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] The gunman ran out of ammunition and stopped to reload, at which point he was tackled to the ground by bystanders.[5]

Six people were killed.[1] Federal judge John McCarthy Roll and Giffords's congressional aide and community outreach director Gabe Zimmerman were among the dead.[1] A 9-year-old girl, Christina Taylor Green,[8] who had been born on September 11, 2001,[9] was pronounced dead at the hospital.[5] Other victims with gunshot wounds were transported to the Northwest Medical Center; four people were listed in critical condition.[6]

The weapon used is reported to be a 9mm Glock model 19 pistol with a 30 round magazine.[5] 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.[10] The package turned out not to be an explosive.[11]

Target of the attack

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

Gabrielle Giffords was reported to be the target of the attack.[4] Less than a week before the shooting Giffords had begun her third term as the Representative of Arizona's 8th congressional district. In the November 2010 Midterm Elections Giffords defeated Republican Jesse Kelly, an Iraq War veteran who had been endorsed by the Tea Party [12] During the campaign Gifford and several other Democratic representatives were targeted for defeat by the Sarah Palin Action Committee , headed by Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate. On the committee’s website an image of a gun’s cross hair was placed on a map over the districts of targeted Democratic seats, including Giffords’ district.[13] Giffords criticized the advertisement, noting that, “We’re on Sarah Palin’s targeted list. But the thing is the way that she has it depicted has the cross hairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they’ve got to realize there’s consequences to that.”[13]

Some news organizations initially reported that Giffords had been killed, but these statements were quickly revised to reflect that she had survived with a gunshot wound to the head.[14][15][16] Giffords was taken to the University Medical Center in Tucson in critical condition for emergency surgery.[1][17] According to Dr. Peter M. Rhee from the medical center, the bullet went "through and through" Giffords's skull and brain, entering and exiting on one side of her head.[18] Giffords is currently in critical care under anesthesia.[1][19] Politico reported late on January 8 that Giffords had been briefly awakened from anesthesia, during which time she recognized her husband.[20]

Suspect

Jared Lee Loughner is the primary suspect in the shooting. At the time of the shooting, he was 22 years old and lived with his parents.[21] Loughner graduated from Mountain View High School in Tucson in 2007.[21] He attended Pima Community College until school authorities suspended him after receiving complaints of his inappropriate behavior in class.[21] Loughner chose to drop out in October 2010 rather than having the mental health evaluation and clearance which would have been required for him to re-enroll.[21] U.S. Army officials verified that Loughner had attempted to enlist, but his application had been rejected.[21]

Before the shooting, Loughner had posted anti-government text and videos on the Internet, including a photograph of a U.S. history textbook underneath the image of a handgun.[21] He briefly discussed terrorism saying:

"If I define terrorist then a terrorist is a person who employs terror or terrorism, especially as a political weapon. I define terrorist …. If you call me a terrorist then the argument to call me a terrorist is ad hominem. You call me a terrorist."[21]

Videos that Loughner posted on YouTube included rambling commentary on the gold standard, mind control by the government, and SWAT teams; one video was entitled "My Final Thoughts: Jared Lee Loughner!"[21] On the day before the shooting, Loughner posted on Myspace, "Goodbye, Dear friends . . . Please don't be mad at me."[21]

Investigation

File:Tucson Shooting.png
Photo from the scene of the shooting.

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.[4][7][22] CNN and NPR have reported that two people had tackled the shooter, stopping the spray of bullets.[5][16]

Police identified the suspect as Jared Lee Loughner, born September 1988.[23] As of January 8 and 9 he was being interrogated by the FBI and was said to be refusing to cooperate with authorities and was invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.[5][4][24] Authorities have said the alleged shooter's motivation was unknown, as he was not talking.[5]

A resident of Tucson, Loughner lived on Soledad Avenue, 5 miles (8.0 km) from the site of the shooting.[23] Although little was initially known about the suspect,[25][26] his deleted Myspace page[27][28] was promptly retrieved.[29] 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] Caiti Parker, who knew the suspect in high school four years ago, described him as a loner and political radical.[30] According to court records, Loughner had two previous offenses, one of which was for drug possession.[30] 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.[23][31][32]

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.[33] FBI Director Robert Mueller has been ordered to the location by President Obama, and the FBI is ready to take over the investigation.[34] The Capitol Police are also conducting an investigation.[4] Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik stated that the suspect had a YouTube channel under an account called "Classitup10",[35][36][37] 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.[30][37]

Police said they were also looking for a second suspect, a white male approximately 40-50 years old with dark hair. On the morning of January 9, they released a security-camera photo in which he appears.[38]

Victims

Killed

Six people were killed in the attack. All but Christina Taylor Green died at the scene of the shooting.[39]

Wounded

The 12 people wounded include Giffords and two of her staff members, Pam Simon and deputy director Ron Barber.[8]

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."[43] 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."[44]

Other elected officials from across the United States spoke publicly regarding the shooting, including Arizona's United States Senators Jon Kyl[45] and John McCain,[46] House Majority Leader Eric Cantor,[47] House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,[47] Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ),[44] Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ),[44] Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ),[44] Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ),[44] Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,[47] Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen[44] and Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett.[44] Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin offered "sincere condolences".[48]

The New York Times reported that the shooting raised concerns that American politics had become too heated. Giffords had previously criticized a website created by the Sarah Palin Action Committee that used the image of a cross hair on a US map[49] to note targeted congressional seats for the 2010 midterm elections, of which Giffords' was one. The website was taken down soon after the shooting. [13] Geraldo Rivera of Fox News Channel remarked, "However unfair the link is, I think that this event affects Sarah Palin's at least short term political future."[50]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Arizona Congresswoman Giffords shot in Tucson". The Arizona Republic. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  2. ^ "Congresswoman still critical as Arizona shooting probe continues". CNN. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  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 g h i Marc Lacey and David M. Herszenhorn (2011-01-09). "In Attack's Wake, Political Repercussions". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gonzalez, Daniel (2011-01-08). "Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords: The victims". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  9. ^ a b "'Baby of hope' shot dead by gunman". smh.com.au. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  10. ^ Live Press Conference, CNN 20:12 EST
  11. ^ Myers, Amanda Lee. "Suspicious package found outside Gifford's office was non-explosive". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  12. ^ "Gabrielle Giffords wins re-election in Arizona". AZCentral.com. 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  13. ^ a b c "Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics". The New York Times. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  14. ^ Moos, Julie (2011-01-08). "After conflicting reports in Arizona shooting, Sklar, Silverman track media mistakes while NPR's Folkenflik explains on Twitter". Poynter Institute. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  15. ^ Hagey, Keach (2011-01-08). "NPR: We regret the erroneous news". Politico. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  16. ^ a b Memmott, Mark (2011-01-08). "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Many Others, Shot; At Least Six Dead". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0111/Reports_Giffords_recognizes_husband.html
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i Eric Lipton; Charlie Savage; Scott Shane (2011-01-08). "Arizona Suspect's Recent Acts Offer Hints of Alienation". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  22. ^ "Details of suspect in Ariz rampage slowly emerge". Google News. Associated Press. 2011-01-08. Archived from the original on 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  23. ^ a b c "Profile of Jared Loughner: 'I can't trust the current government'". MSNBC. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  24. ^ "Loughner Invoking Fifth Amendment After Arizona Slaughter". NewsTime. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-09. {{cite news}}: Text "location:New Zealand" ignored (help)
  25. ^ EPA/Gary M. Williams. "Gunman in shooting of Ariz. congresswoman identified as Jared Lee Loughner, 22". NJ.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  26. ^ "Jared Lee Loughner Identified As Gabrielle Giffords Shooter (INFO, VIDEOS)". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  27. ^ Albanesius, Chloe (2011-01-08). "MySpace Removes Profile of Alleged Arizona Shooter". PC Magazine. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  28. ^ 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
  29. ^ Weisenthal, Joe (2011-01-08). "Gunman Identified As Jared Lee Loughner". Business Insider. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ 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)
  32. ^ Steller, Tim (2011-01-08). "Man linked to Giffords shooting called 'very disturbed'". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  33. ^ CNN live broadcast
  34. ^ Spotts, Pete. "Arizona shooting: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords hit at meeting with constituents". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  35. ^ Loughner, Jared Lee (2010-12-15). "Classitup10's Channel". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  36. ^ "Arizona massacre suspect: 'Kind of a troubled past'". CNN. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  37. ^ 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)
  38. ^ "AZ shooting targets US congresswoman, kills 6". AP. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  39. ^ http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/01/08/20110108gabrielle-giffords-arizona-shooting-timeline.html
  40. ^ a b "Born, died between 2 tragedies". Arizona Daily Star. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  41. ^ Brown, David. "Dallas Green's granddaughter dies in Arizona shooting - Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports". Big League Stew. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  42. ^ a b c d e Marc Lacey; David M. Herszenhorn (2011-01-08). "In Attack's Wake, Political Repercussions". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  43. ^ "The President's Statement on the Attack in Arizona". Whitehouse.gov. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  44. ^ a b c d e f g "Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot: reaction". Azcentral.com. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  45. ^ "In quotes: Arizona, federal leaders speak out on shootings". bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  46. ^ "McCain: Shooting a 'terrible, terrible' tragedy". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  47. ^ a b c "In quotes: Reaction to Arizona shooting". BBC News Online. 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  48. ^ "Palin offers condolences to Giffords family". KSPR. Perkin Media, LLC. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  49. ^ "Screenshot of Sarah Palin's Facebook Vitriol Page Prior to Removal of Her Infamous "Target" Map". Retrieved 2011-01-09..
  50. ^ Alvarez, Alex (2011-01-09). "Fox's Geraldo On Arizona Shooting: "This Event Affects Sarah Palin's Political Future"". Mediaite. Retrieved 2011-01-09.

US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot at Arizona supermarket at Wikinews

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