US REP SHOT, 6 SLAIN IN ARIZ.

sheriff: gunman may have had accomplice

Staff/wire report

TUCSON, Ariz.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head Saturday by a gunman who opened fire outside a grocery store during a meeting with voters, killing a federal judge and five others in a rampage that rattled the country and left Americans questioning whether divisive politics had pushed the suspect over the edge.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said Giffords was the target of a gunman whom he described as mentally unstable and possibly acting along with an accomplice. He said Giffords was among 13 people wounded in the melee that killed six people, including Arizona’s chief federal judge, a 9-year-old girl and an aide for the Democratic lawmaker. Dupnik said the rampage ended only after two people tackled the gunman.

Doctors were optimistic about Giffords’ surviving, as she was responding to commands from doctors despite having a bullet go through her head. “With guarded optimism, I hope she will survive, but this is a very devastating wound,” said Dr. Richard Carmona, the former surgeon general who lives in Tucson.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, issued a statement regarding the shooting.

“I am shocked and saddened by today’s senseless act of violence,” Ryan said in the statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her husband and family, as well as her staff, the other victims of this tragedy, and all of their families.

“Gabby is a friend and a great advocate for the state of Arizona. It is unthinkable that such a talented and committed representative should come under attack while serving her constituents. Today is a sad day, indeed.”

The sheriff pointed to the vitriolic political rhetoric that has consumed the country as he denounced the shooting that claimed several of his friends as victims, including U.S. District Judge John Roll. The judge attended Mass on Saturday morning like he does every day before stopping by to say hello to his good friend, Giffords.

“When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous,” the sheriff said. “And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”

The reaction to the shooting rippled across the country as Americans were aghast at the sight of such a violent attack on a sitting member of Congress. The shooting cast a pall over the Capitol as politicians of all stripes denounced the shooting as a horrific and senseless act of violence. Obama dispatched his FBI director to Arizona. Capitol police asked members of Congress to be more vigilant about security in the wake of the shooting, and some politicians expressed hope that the killing spree serves as a wakeup call at a time when the political climate has become so emotionally charged.

“It is a tragedy for Arizona, and a tragedy for our entire country,” President Barack Obama declared.

U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-14th, has worked with Giffords on NASA issues.

“Gabby Giffords is a bright, energetic member of the House and we wish her the best and speediest recovery possible,” he said in a statement. “Because of her husband’s career as an astronaut we have had the chance to work together on NASA issues the last four years, and hers has been a strong voice for manned spaceflight.

“As we wait for the specifics of what caused this madman to create such carnage, aside from our stricken colleague, we mourn the loss of life of at least one person, injuries to scores more and understand that an attack such as this is an attack upon us all,” LaTourette said.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire of McCandless, Pa., D-4th, issued a similar statement.

“I am shocked and horrified at the tragic events today in Tucson,” Altmire said in the statement. “My heartfelt sympathy goes out to Gabrielle’s husband, Mark, and her entire family. I also extend my deepest sympathies to the families of all those killed and injured in this senseless tragedy. They are in my prayers.”

Newly elected U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Poland, D-6th, shared similar thoughts.

“This is a sad day for our country,” Johnson’s statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her family, staff and friends as well as other victims of this senseless tragedy.”

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown also said Saturday was a sad day.

“Congresswoman Giffords is a dedicated public servant and was attacked while serving her constituents,” Brown said in a statement. “Connie and my thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her family, members of her staff and all of the individuals who were attacked in this senseless tragedy.”

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who leaves office today, said in a statement he is “...deeply saddened by the reports of a horrific attack carried out in Arizona.... .I pray for those who lost their lives or were injured and their families, for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, [federal] Judge John Roll and for our country today. This is a time for all Americans, regardless of their political ideology, to condemn all forms of violence in our society and stand together in solidarity.”

After last year’s vote on health care reform, several members of congress reported receiving threats after casting votes in favor of the legislation.

Last March, former U.S. Reps. John Boccieri of Alliance, D-16th, who grew up and lived most of his life in Mahoning County, and Kathy Dahlkemper of Erie, Pa., whose district included a portion of Mercer County, said they received threats.

That same month, Ryan postponed an informational meeting at the Youngstown Community Health Center on Wick Avenue about the health-care bill. He cited potential danger to himself and others and inadequate security.

A threat to blow up Ryan’s Warren office had been made. Police and other emergency crews were called to Ryan’s Youngstown office last April when staffers received a letter that caused them concern.

The envelope contained an angry letter about Ryan’s vote supporting the health care legislation, a staffer said at that time.

Giffords, 40, is a three-term moderate Democrat who narrowly won re-election in November against a tea party candidate as conservatives across the country sought to throw her from office over her support of the health care law. Her office in Tucson was vandalized in the hours after the House passed the overhaul last March as anger over the law spread across the country.

Police say Saturday’s shooter was in custody, and was identified by people familiar with the investigation as Jared Loughner, 22. Officials said he used a semiautomatic 9-mm pistol with an extended clip to carry out the attack. U.S. officials who provided his name to the AP spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release it publicly.

The suspect’s exact motivation was not clear, but a former classmate described Loughner as a pot-smoking loner who had rambling beliefs about the world. The Army said he tried to enlist in December 2008 but was rejected for reasons the military did not provide.

Federal law enforcement officials were poring over versions of a MySpace page that belonged to Jared 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.”

In one of several YouTube videos, which featured text against a dark background, Loughner described inventing a new U.S. currency and complained about the illiteracy rate among people living in Giffords’ congressional district in Arizona.

“I know who’s listening: Government Officials, and the People,” Loughner wrote. “Nearly all the people, who don’t know this accurate information of a new currency, aren’t aware of mind control and brainwash methods. If I have my civil rights, then this message wouldn’t have happen (sic).”

Giffords’ spokesman C.J. Karamargin said three of Giffords staffers were shot. One died: Gabe Zimmerman, a former social worker who served as Giffords’ director of community outreach. The other two are expected to survive.