Tucson says farewell to youngest shooting victim

Brother Dallas Green wipes away a tear while seated next to his father John Green and mother Roxanna Green during the funeral service for their daughter, nine-year-old mass shooting victim Christina-Taylor Green, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Tucson, January 13, 2011. (Photo : Reuters / Greg Bryan )

TUCSON, Arizona, Jan 13 (KATAKAMI / Reuters) – Hundreds of people gathered to say farewell on Thursday to a bright 9-year-old who loved to dance and play baseball, but was gunned down when she went to learn about politics from her congresswoman.

Christina Green was the youngest victim of a shooting spree last Saturday that claimed six lives and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords battling for her life. Her funeral was the first to be held.

Hundreds of mourners including a group of leather-clad bikers and several of Christina’s classmates began lining both sides of the road outside St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church ahead of her funeral at 1 p.m.. A church bell signaling noon broke the quiet as mourners waited for the service.

A hearse passes people lining the street as it arrives at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church for the funeral for nine-year-old Christina Green in Tucson, January 13, 2011. (Photo : Reuters / Mike Segar )

Family members escorted the small wooden coffin into the church in silence for the service, which was closed to the news media. They filed out to the solemn strains of a piper.

“She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age,” President Barack Obama said in an emotional address to thousands of people crammed into a Tucson sports stadium to mourn on Wednesday evening.

“I want to live up to her expectations, I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it, I want America to be as good as Christina imagined it,” he said to applause and roars of approval.

The lively youngster was born on September 11 2001, the day of suicide aircraft attacks on New York.

A stars and stripes flag pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center in the days after Christina’s birth was brought in to hang between two fire truck ladders.

The top student, who was elected to her class council, was the granddaughter of former pro baseball manager Dallas Green.

She loved dancing, gymnastics and swimming, and hoped to be the first woman to play major-league baseball.

Nine-year-old Dante Mitchell, classmate of nine-year-old Christina Green, holds a stuffed bear he brought to her funeral in Tucson, January 13, 2011. (Photo : Reuters / Eric Thayer )

‘MY FIRST FUNERAL’

It was the first funeral for William Moody, a 9-year-old classmate of Christina’s who was with his grandmother, Lynnette Moody. It was not the funeral he expected to attend first, he said.

“It’s like my grandma said, she thought my first funeral would be for an old person who had a full life,” he said. “It’s weird not having her in school.”

The Bishop of Tucson, Bishop Gerald Kicanas, gave a blessing inside the church, as mourners offered each other consolation outside.

“We’ve all been affected in Tucson,” said Maggie Parisoff, 35, a crisis counselor roving through the crowd outside the church to offer help to anyone in need.

Her funeral will be followed on Friday by that of federal judge John Roll, who was gunned down alongside her after he called in at the “Congress on the corner” event to see Giffords, who was a friend.

Police arrested a 22-year-old college dropout, Jared Lee Loughner, for the killings.

He made his first court appearance on Monday, and faces five federal charges, including the attempted assassination of Giffords.

The congresswoman remains in critical condition in hospital.

Giffords opened her eyes on Wednesday, during a visit by two close friends from the U.S. Congress. (*)

Photostream : House Speaker John Boehner, Leader Eric Cantor and Whip Hoyer Sign Books of Well-Wishes & Condolences Honoring Victims of Tucson Tragedy

Washington DC, Jan 12 (KATAKAMI / SPEAKER GOV) --- Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) today signed Books of Well Wishes & Condolences for the victims of Saturday’s tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ.  These books have been made available to the public in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building and will remain there throughout the week.  Below are photos of Boehner, Cantor and Hoyer signing the books:

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) signs the book of condolences and the book of well wishes for the victims of the Tucson, Arizona shooting before attending a prayer service for them in the Capitol in Washington January 12, 2011. A 22-year-old man has been charged with trying to assassinate assassinate Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in a shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 14 in Tucson. Giffords is fighting for her life in a Tucson hospital. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Speaker of the House John Boehner (L) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (R) sign the book of condolences and the book of well wishes for the victims of the Tucson, Arizona shooting before attending a prayer service for them in the Capitol in Washington January 12, 2011. Standing behind is House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. A 22-year-old man has been charged with trying to assassinate Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in a shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 14 in Tucson. Giffords is fighting for her life in a Tucson hospital. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Speaker of the House John Boehner (C) looks on as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (L) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer sign books of condolences for Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords before attending a prayer service for her in the Capitol in Washington January 12, 2011. A 22-year-old man has been charged with trying to assassinate Giffords in a shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 14 in Tucson. Giffords is fighting for her life in a Tucson hospital. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Speaker John Boehner : Honoring Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

John Boehner

By : Speaker John Boehner

Please also visit : KATAKAMI.COM

YOUTUBE : Speaker Boehner's Remarks on Resolution Condemning the Attack in Tucson, AZ

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) gave these remarks Wednesday morning on the House floor :

Washington DC. Jan 12 (KATAKAMI / THE HILL.COM) — Today, we are called here to mourn.  An unspeakable act of violence has taken six innocent lives, and left several more – including our colleague, Gabrielle Giffords – battling for theirs.  These are difficult hours for our country.

Among the fallen is Gabe Zimmerman, a member of Congresswoman Giffords’ staff … a public servant of the highest caliber … one of our own.

Even in our shock, we are composed and determined to fulfill our calling to represent our constituents.  This is the great cause for which Gabe gave his life.  Like us, Gabe swore on oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.  At the time of the attack, he was engaged in the most simple and direct of democratic rituals: listening to the people … to his neighbors.

The brutality that shattered Saturday morning’s calm was devastating, but brief.  Bravery and quick thinking prevented a massacre, turning innocent bystanders into heroes.  The service and skill of first responders and medical professionals saved lives.  Law enforcement officials are working to ensure swift justice.  Look to Tucson right now, and you will be reminded that America’s most plentiful source of wealth and strength is her people.

We are so thankful Gabby is still with us.  We are so thankful that two of her staffers who were also wounded – Ron Barber and Pam Simon – are still with us.  These are days they were not supposed to see, and we can only pray there will be more of them.

In her stead, Gabby’s staff has pressed on, opening for business Monday morning, right on schedule.  The men and women who faithfully serve the people of Arizona’s Eighth Congressional District have signaled that no act – no matter how heinous – will stop us from doing our duty and being among the people we serve.

To all of the dedicated professionals we rely on to make this institution work, to each of you: thank you for what you do.  To Gabby’s staff – and their families: please know that our hearts and prayers go out to you.

This body has yet to fully register the magnitude of this tragedy.  We feel a litany of unwanted emotions no resolution could possibly capture.  We know that we gather here without distinction of party.  The needs of this institution have always risen above partisanship.  And what this institution needs right now is strength – holy, uplifting strength.  The strength to grieve with the families of the fallen, to pray for the wounded, and to chart a way forward, no matter how painful and difficult it may be.

Today it is not ceremony, but tragedy that stirs us to renew our commitment to fulfill our oaths of office.  Let us not let this inhuman act frighten us into doing otherwise.  The free exchange of ideas is the lifeblood of our democracy, as prescribed by the First Amendment, that beacon of free expression Congresswoman Giffords recited in this well just days ago.  These rights have not been handed down by dictate – they have been preserved and protect through generations of hard sacrifice and commitment.  We will continue this unfinished work.

We will do it for Christina Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwan Stoddard, ordinary citizens who died participating in their democracy.  We will do it for Judge John Roll.  We will do it for Gabe Zimmerman.  And we will do it, God-willing, with Gabrielle Giffords.

Our hearts are broken, but our spirit is not.  This is a time for the House to lock arms, in prayer for those fallen and wounded, and in resolve to carry on the dialogue of democracy.  We may not yet have all the answers, but we already have the answer that matters most: that we are Americans, and together we will make it through this.  We will have the last word.

God bless this House.  God bless this Congress.  God bless America.  (*)

U.S. Congress Pays Tribute to Arizona Shooting Victims

Members of Congress and staff members observe a moment of silence for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and other shooting victims, Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, on the East Steps of the Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washington. Giffords was shot Saturday in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people dead. Pictured from ninth left to right: Wilson Livingood, Sergeant at Arms, U.S. House of Representatives; Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C.; Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.; Steve Lawrence, chief of staff to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif.; Barry Jackson chief of staff to House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio; Del. Madeleine Bordallo, D-Guam; Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga.; and Senate Sergeant at Arms Terry Gainer. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Please also visit  : KATAKAMI.COM

Washington DC, Jan 12 (KATAKAMI / VOA) — Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have strongly condemned a mass shooting in Arizona that killed six people and wounded a U.S. congresswoman.

House Speaker John Boehner submitted a resolution Wednesday honoring those killed and expressing hope for the recovery of Representative Gabrielle Giffords and others who were wounded.

The resolution pays tribute by name to the six people killed in the attack, including a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge.

Giffords was meeting her constituents outside a grocery store in the city of Tucson when a gunman opened fire. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said it is especially tragic that the shooting took place as people participated in activity that she said “reflects the best of our democratic tradition.”

U.S. President Barack Obama and the first lady travel to Arizona Wednesday to attend a memorial service for the victims.

Twenty-two-year-old Jared Loughner is accused of carrying out the attack.

If convicted he could get life in prison or the death penalty.

Giffords is being treated at an Arizona hospital for a gunshot wound to the head. Doctors say she has shown signs of improvement. She can breathe on her own and continues to respond to simple commands. But they say recovery will take time.

Loughner is charged with one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and two counts of attempting to kill a federal employee.

It was the first deadly attack against a U.S. member of Congress since 1978, when California Representative Leo Ryan was killed in Guyana, while visiting the compound of a U.S.-based cult known as Jonestown.

Loughner’s family released a statement Tuesday expressing deep remorse for the shooting, saying they cannot understand why it happened.

Investigators found handwritten notes at Loughner’s home with Giffords’ name, the words “I planned ahead” and “My assassination.” Some of the writings were scrawled on a letter Giffords’ office sent to the suspect in 2007 after he attended one of her political events.  (*)

Photos released from Giffords’ hospital room

The office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has provided the public with the first images from the congresswomans hospital room. (Above, below: Mark Kelly clasps hands with his wife Giffords at her bedside. Photo : YAHOO )

The office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has provided the public with the first images from the congresswomans hospital room. (Above, below: Mark Kelly clasps hands with his wife Giffords at her bedside. Photo : YAHOO )

Photos released from Giffords’ hospital room

The office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has provided the public with the first images from the congresswoman's hospital room. (Above, below: Mark Kelly clasps hands with his wife Giffords at her bedside. Photo : YAHOO )

The office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has provided the public with the first images from the congresswoman's hospital room. (Above, below: Mark Kelly clasps hands with his wife Giffords at her bedside. Photo : YAHOO )

Today the House will take up a resolution condemning the attack in Arizona

The US flag flies at half-staff outside the US Capitol on January 9, 2011, in memory of the victims of the January 8 shootings in Tucson, Arizona, which killed a US Judge and gravely wounded a US Congresswoman. In a brief statement Sunday morning, House Speaker John Boehner said flags on the House side of the Capitol in Washington will be flown at half-mast to honor the slain aide of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Gabe Zimmerman. Thirty-year-old Zimmerman was among six killed during a shooting rampage that left the Democratic congresswoman among 13 wounded. AFP PHOTO/Paul J. Richards (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

Please also visit : KATAKAMI.COM

Jan 12 (KATAKAMI / SPEAKER.GOV) — On Wednesday morning, beginning at around 10:00 AM, the House will consider a resolution condemning the brutal attack on Representative Gabrielle Giffords as she met with constituents in Tucson, AZ.  Speaker John Boehner says the resolution, which can be found here, will also recognize the bravery of those who “helped subdue the attacker and save lives.”

Says Boehner:

“The House will lock arms tomorrow and – as one body – condemn the brutal attack in Arizona and express our profound condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and wounded.  We will recognize the bravery of those on scene whose courage helped subdue the attacker and save lives – including that of our friend and colleague, Gabrielle Giffords.  And as the resolution itself reads, we will reaffirm our belief in ‘a democracy in which all can participate and in which intimidation and threats of violence cannot silence the voices of any American.”  (*)

John Boehner opposes gun-free zone measure

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, speaks during a news conference as he reads a statement condemning the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., at the West Chester Township Hall in West Chester, Ohio, Sunday Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)

Please also visit : KATAKAMI.COM

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (KATAKAMI / UPI) — House Speaker John Boehner opposes a gun control bill proposed by a fellow Republicans in response to the Tucson shootings, his spokesman says.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the Homeland Security Committee said Tuesday he would introduce legislation forbidding anyone to carry firearms within 1,000 feet of members of Congress.

King said the legislation is meant to protect the public as well as officials.

“The fact is they do represent the people who elect them, and it’s essential, if we’re going to continue to have contact, that the public who are at these meetings are ensured of their own safety,” he said.

Spokesman Michael Steel told The Hill Boehner, R-Ohio, would not support King’s legislation while the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said he would have to review the measure before taking a position.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., also are preparing legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines like those used by alleged Arizona gunman Jared Loughner. But Rep. James Moran, D-Va., said: “Anything you can get through the gun lobby is going to have little consequence. I don’t see the likelihood of much progress.”  (*)

Speaker Boehner: No New Gun Control

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) speaks about the shooting in Arizona during a news conference in West Chester, Ohio, January 9, 2011. A gunman shot U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head, seriously wounding her, and killed six other people in a shooting rampage at a public meeting in Tucson on Saturday. REUTERS/Jay LaPrete

Jan 12 (KATAKAMI / FRUMFORUM.COM) — The Hill reports:

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is rejecting gun-control legislation offered by the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in response to the weekend shootings of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and 19 others in Arizona.

Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) announced plans Tuesday to introduce legislation prohibiting people from carrying guns within 1,000 feet of members of Congress.

King, who has previously called for the removal of illegal guns from the streets, made the announcement alongside New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the nation’s loudest voices for stricter gun laws.

King said the legislation is not intended only for the safety of government officials but also to protect the public. He said elected officials are not necessarily more important than constituents, but by protecting them in this way, they would feel safer in meeting federal officials at public events.

“The fact is they do represent the people who elect them, and it’s essential, if we’re going to continue to have contact, that the public who are at these meetings are ensured of their own safety,” King said.

King’s legislation got the cold shoulder from Boehner and other Republicans after it was announced.

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said the Speaker would not support King’s legislation.

The office of Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the majority leader is reserving judgment until the King bill is finalized.

“Mr. Cantor believes it’s appropriate to adequately review and actually read legislation before forming an opinion about it,” Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring stated in an e-mail.

The immediate rejection of King’s legislation by Boehner illustrates the difficulty gun-control advocates will face in moving forward with any legislation.  (*)

Gabrielle Giffords in Medically Induced Coma to Help Brain Rest

Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

Please also visit : KATAKAMI.COM

Jan 9 (KATAKAMI / ABC News) — Doctors say that while the bullet that struck Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords did not hit any critical parts of the brain, whether she will survive and how fully she will recover are still unknown.

“This was a devastating wound that traveled the length of the brain on the left side,” Dr. Peter Rhee, trauma director at University Medical Center in Tucson, said during a press conference. Giffords’ family confirmed to ABC affiliate KTRK that the bullet entered the back of her head and exited through her forehead.

Giffords is currently in a medically induced coma that doctors say will help her brain rest. She had surgery to stop the bleeding and help control swelling on the left side of the brain. Doctors also had to decompress her eyes. Eyelids often swell when there is trauma to the brain.

“Brain swelling is the biggest threat at this point,” said Dr. Michael Lemole, chief of the the division of neurosurgery at the University of Arizona. To help control swelling, part of Giffords skull was removed and will be reimplanted, possibly in a few months.

Giffords was awakened periodically and she has made nonverbal responses to simple commands, but Rhee said she has not spoken because she is on a ventilator.

Lemole said Giffords was able to squeeze a doctor’s hand and hold up fingers when asked, and these responses are good signs.

“We take them for granted, but they [represent] a high level of function,” he said.

Next Days Crucial to Recovery

The next few days and weeks will be critical to determine how much brain function Giffords has lost, if any. Doctors will keep an especially close eye on the level of brain swelling and also on her ability to recover speech and movement on the right side of her body, which are controlled by the left side of the brain.

“If we do run into trouble in the next few days, we can use medical agents to dry out the brain,” said Rhee. “We can put a tube into the center of the brain to relieve the pressure, but she looks good now.”

In addition to swelling, the risks to Giffords include “CSF [cerebrospinal fluid] leakage through the entry and exit wounds, cerebral artery spasm [vasospasm], seizures, and meningitis or brain abscess,” said Dr. Neil Martin, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles.

Quick Response Helped Gabrielle Giffords After Gunshot

While the worst isn’t yet over for Giffords, a number of factors played a role in her survival thus far. Rhee and Lemole said she benefited from an outstanding response from the medical team who treated her and the fact that they were able to preserve a lot of her brain tissue before the surgery.

Her chances of survival and recovery would be much worse if the bullet had passed through both parts of the brain or hit vital parts.

“Crossing both halves of the brain, involving more lobes of the brain, traversing the fluid-filled spaces of the brain, or injuring the major blood vessels at the base of the brain are all indicators of a worse prognosis,” said Dr. Atif Haque, a neurosurgeon at the Fort Worth Brain & Spine Institute. “Crossing the ‘geographic’ center of the brain is essentially non-survivable.”

Over the next few months, doctors hope to get a better idea of her cognitive deficits. Her recovery could take years, and she could be in the hospital for several months.

“The faster your recovery, the better your recovery will be. That’s a general rule of thumb,” said Lemole.

Rhee said he is optimistic based on what he has seen so far.

“When you get shot through the head and the bullet goes through your brain, the chance of your living is very small and the chance of you waking up and following commands is small.”  (*)

REMARKS: Speaker Boehner Addresses Tragic Shooting in Arizona

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) speaks about the shooting in Arizona during a news conference in West Chester, Ohio, January 9, 2011. A gunman shot U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head, seriously wounding her, and killed six other people in a shooting rampage at a public meeting in Tucson on Saturday. REUTERS/Jay LaPrete

Please also visit : KATAKAMI.COM

WASHINGTON, DC, Jan 9 (KATAKAMI / SPEAKER.GOV) — Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) made the following remarks from West Chester, Ohio this morning regarding the tragic shooting in Arizona:

“Good morning. The thoughts and prayers of the House and the nation are with Congresswoman Giffords and her family. We’re also praying for the families of Judge Roll and all of those who were taken from us yesterday so senselessly. Among the fallen is Gabe Zimmerman, a member of Congresswoman Giffords’ staff, and I’ve directed that the flags on the House side of the Capitol be flown at half mast in honor of Gabe’s death in the line of duty.

“An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve. Such acts of violence have no place in our society. I want to commend the federal, state and local officials, as well as the Capitol Police, for all of their efforts. And I’ve told the FBI Director that the House stands ready to assist in any way possible.

“Last night, the Majority Leader announced that the normal business of the House in the coming week has been postponed so that we can take necessary action regarding yesterday’s events. The Majority Leader will announce a revised schedule.

“To the members of the House and their staffs, I ask that you on this Sabbath day that we keep Gabby and her staff in our thoughts and prayers. Public service is a high honor, but these tragic events remind us that all of us in our roles in service to our fellow citizens comes with a risk. This inhuman act should not and will not deter us from our calling to represent our constituents and to fulfill our oaths of office. No act, no matter how heinous, must be allowed to stop us from our duty.”  (*)

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Critical Condition After Shooting

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and her husband, space shuttle astronaut Mark Kelly, are seen in an undated handout photo provided by her Congressional campaign, January 8, 2011. Giffords was hit in a shooting on Saturday at a public event of the Congresswoman's at a Tucson, Arizona grocery store that also injured at least nine other people, hospital and law enforcement sources said. REUTERS/Giffords for Congress/PK Weis/Handout

Please also visit : KATAKAMI.COM

Jan 8 (KATAKAMI / ABC NEWS) — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords survived a gunshot to the head after a gunman opened fire at an event she was hosting outside a Tucson, Ariz., grocery store.

Authorities said 13 people were wounded and five killed in the attack. Among the dead were a federal judge and a nine year-old girl.

President Barack Obama, speaking at a nationally televised news conference, called the shooting an unspeakable tragedy.

“What Americans do at times of tragedy is to come together and support each other, so at this time I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping all the victims and their families, including Gabby, in our thoughts and prayers,” he said. “We are going to get to the bottom of this and we’re going to get through this.”

“The suspect is currently in custody, but we don’t yet know what provoked this unspeakable act,” the president said.

FBI Director Robert Mueller was headed to Arizona to coordinate the investigation, Obama said. Federal authorities have jurisdiction in an attack on a sitting member of Congress.

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who was shot during an appearance in Tucson, Arizona is seen meeting with an elderly constituent in an undated 2010 handout photo provided by her Congressional campaign on January 8, 2011. Rep. Giffords, 40, a Democrat, took office in January 2007, emphasizing issues such as immigration reform, embryonic stem-cell research, alternative energy sources and a higher minimum wage. Giffords was alive but in surgery at a hospital on Saturday after a shooting that also injured at least nine other people, a hospital spokeswoman said. REUTERS/Giffords for Congress/Handout

Giffords, 40, was among was taken to University Medical Center, where she underwent brain surgery and was listed in critical condition.

Dr. Peter Rhee, trauma director at UMC, told reporters Giffords was shot once in the head and that the bullet went through her brain. He added that she was responsive to doctors’ commands.

“I am very optimistic about her recovery,” Rhee said.

Giffords’ husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, was en route to Tucson from Houston, where he has been preparing to command the last scheduled space shuttle mission, which is supposed to launch in April.

A surgeon at UMC said it had received 10 patients after the shooting. Five, including Giffords, were in critical condition; five are still undergoing surgery, Dr. Peter Rhee of UMC said.

At least five people, including Federal District Chief Judge John Roll and a 9-year-old girl, were killed in the attack, law enforcement sources said.

The shooter, identified by multiple law enforcement sources as Jared Lee Loughner, 22, was in custody, but law enforcement officials are still treating the incident as an active crime scene. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office was taking the lead of the investigation and was assisted by the FBI, Joint Counterterrorism Task Force and the U.S. Capitol Police.

An urgent email message to members of Congress from the Capitol Police informed them of the shooting and advised them to “take reasonable and prudent precautions regarding their personal security at home and in public forums.”

Giffords, a Democrat, was holding a “Congress on Your Corner” event at a Safeway supermarket in northwest Tucson when the shooting occurred.

Steven Rayle, who was at the event, told ABC News a man approached Giffords and shot her before turning his gun on other people randomly.

Rayle described the shooter as a Caucasian male in his 20s wearing dark clothes.

“I went to the side of the table by a concrete post and I looked up and saw a man shoot her in the head. And then he began spraying gunfire everywhere. At that point I ducked behind a concrete post and as he came around it,” he said. “The whole thing unfolded in about 12 or 15 seconds. As he came around it I laid down on the ground and acted as if I was shot.”

Rayle, who eventually helped subdue the shooter, said the gunman had an “impassive face” as he was shooting.

“He did try to escape and I think one of her staffers tackled him,” Rayle said. “I assisted in holding him down until more people arrived. He did struggle. He did not say anything.”

Jason Pekau, another witness who worked at a nearby Sprint store, said he heard 15 to 20 gunshots and saw lots of people running and screaming that the Congresswoman had been shot.

Pekau also said two bodies were covered on the sidewalk after emergency responders had arrived at the scene.

A Democratic member of Congress who asked not to be identified said one of the dead was a Giffords staffer.

Official Washington was in shock after the shooting and statements condemning the violence poured in from both sides of the political aisle.

“Whoever did this; whatever their reason, they are a disgrace to Arizona, this country and the human race, and they deserve and will receive the contempt of all decent people and the strongest punishment of the law,” Sen. John McCain of Arizona said in a statement.

House Speaker John Boehner said he was “horrified” and strongly condemned the attack.

“An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve,” he said in a statement.

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called the shooting a “national tragedy” and praised Giffords as a “brilliant and courageous member of Congress.”

Giffords Had Been Target of Vandals

Giffords, a representative for Arizona’s 8th District who just won reelection to a third term, has been the target of conservative political opponents in recent months.

In March of last year, Giffords’ office was vandalized just after she voted in favor of the health care reform law. The intruders destroyed a glass door and a window at her Tucson Congressional offices.

At the time, Giffords’ press secretary C.J. Karamargin said the office had received many phone calls with “nasty and rude and hateful comments” from opponents of the health care bill.

Recently Giffords, who supports gun rights, has been receiving angry letters from anonymous sources, ranting about the supposed national gun registry and border control.

One letter received on Dec. 15 addressed to “giffords, obama, mccain and sen. Jon kyl” got personal on the topic of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry, who was killed in a late night shootout at the U.S.-Mexican border.

“Brian a Terry’s blood is on your hands! How many more legal residents of the USA have to die before the border is CLOSED??? Obama I call you out! CLOSE THE DAMN BORDER NOW! Quit pandering to illegals!,” the letter read.

Giffords has a reputation as a political rebel. She voted with the Democratic party about 40 percent of the time, according to Congressional Quarterly, though she supported her party’s effort to pass a landmark health reform law.

She was also one of a handful of Democrats who did not vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker of the house, during the recent Democratic leadership elections after Democrats lost their majority in the House last November. (*)