Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), and 6 others, shot

[gyeonghwa]

www.npr.org/2011/01/08/132764367/congresswoman-shot-in-arizona

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and six others died after a gunman opened fire at a public event on Saturday, the Pima County, Ariz., sheriff's office confirms.

The 40-year-old Democrat, who was re-elected to her third term in November, was hosting a "Congress on Your Corner" event at a Safeway in northwest Tucson when a gunman ran up and started shooting, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.

At least three other people, including members of her staff, were injured. Giffords was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson. Her condition was not immediately known.

Giffords was talking to a couple when the suspect ran up and fired indiscriminately from about four feet away, Michaels said.

Update: There are a lot of speculations afloat right now. Giffords was targeted by Sarah Palin in her rifle-cross-hair campaign and her Tea Party opponent had held a targeting practice against her using M-16. Others are saying it might be a drug hit because she was critical of drug cartels.

Non of these have any weight at the moment because there's no info on the gunman and his motives.

[malicious_bloke]

In conspiracy terms, I'm going with an underground splinter group of the People's Temple.

After all, they are the only other people known to have shot a member of congress AFAIK.

[big_electron]

Forget the People's Temple. I say teabaggers. Her office was vandalized after the healthcare vote.

[JonathanE]

www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/08/arizona.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

According to CNN, at least 12 people were shot and Gifford is apparently still in surgery. As of 1500 EST she was undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound to the head.

[gyeonghwa]

Jan 8, 2011 15:09:14 GMT -5 big_electron said:

Forget the People's Temple. I say teabaggers. Her office was vandalized after the healthcare vote.

And Sarah Palin did target her:



Still, I want to know who the gunman is.

[dasfuchs]

Jan 8, 2011 15:09:14 GMT -5 big_electron said:

Forget the People's Temple. I say teabaggers. Her office was vandalized after the healthcare vote.

That's what i'd go with before anything else.
One of'em became more unglued than he was already.


Also am i bad for hoping McCain was caught in the crossfire?

[JonathanE]

My hope is that the news media (read Fox) and the GOP take a lesson from this. The insane rhetoric that has prevailed, particularly since Obama's election, must be toned down to a rational level.

[JonathanE]

CNN reports 13 shot and 5 dead.

[Doctor Fishcake]

Palin will be nervously hoping this does turn out to be a drug-related hit. And well she should, otherwise this will be seen as her Chappaquiddick.

[Iosa the Invincible]

My grandma said that she heard a child was also killed in the gunfire.

[Smurfette Principle]

Jan 8, 2011 15:09:14 GMT -5 big_electron said:

Forget the People's Temple. I say teabaggers. Her office was vandalized after the healthcare vote.

I agree. Considering the rhetoric and the demographic... I would be very surprised if it wasn't them.

[dasfuchs]

Fox is already running damage control

[Smurfette Principle]

Jan 8, 2011 15:34:24 GMT -5 dasfuchs said:

Fox is already running damage control

For those of us who avoid Fox like the plague, what are they saying?

[dasfuchs]

Jan 8, 2011 15:40:34 GMT -5 Smurfette Principle said:

Jan 8, 2011 15:34:24 GMT -5 dasfuchs said:

Fox is already running damage control

For those of us who avoid Fox like the plague, what are they saying?

We don't know what could push someone to shoot people
It happened in the state full of wild west towns like Tombstone and the OK corral, so this isn't surprising (despite the oh, 100+ years between the incident)
She died, no, she's alive, we got it from these sources, completely legit sources

It's not really serious...but i'm waiting to see the guy identifies with the right somehow and watch Fox go into melt down

[JonathanE]

18 injured, 5 or 6 dead. 22 year old male shooter. No details released about motive. Next live news conference at 1800 MST. Cop at press conference seemed awfully tighted lipped as to motive and who the shooter was.