World

US Congresswoman shot in Arizona

A US member of Congress from Arizona was shot and seriously wounded on Saturday by a man.

Reuters January 09, 2011

TUCSON, ARIZONA: A US member of Congress from Arizona was shot and seriously wounded on Saturday by a man who opened fire at a meeting she was holding in Tucson.

Latest reports say that six people, including a judge, had died in the shooting incident.

Gabrielle Giffords, a 40-year-old Democrat in her third term in the US House of Representatives, was airlifted to a hospital in Tucson, Arizona shortly after being shot in the head at point blank range at a Safeway supermarket.

“She is currently in surgery. She’s alive,” University Medical Centre spokeswoman Darci Slaten told Reuters. “She was shot in the head,” Slaten later told CNN. Slaten added that nine others were being treated, all of them in critical or serious condition. One of the wounded was a child.

News reports said the suspected gunman was in custody. There was no word on his motives.

Giffords was hosting a “Congress on Your Corner” event – public gatherings to give her constituents a chance to talk directly with her - when attacked from about four feet away, NPR said.

It said the suspect tried to run away but was tackled by a bystander. Andrea Gooden, an eyewitness, told Fox News that she heard about 15 consecutive gunshots.

Re-elected in the Nov 2 midterm elections, Giffords has focused on immigration reform, military issues, stem cell research and alternative energy while in Congress. She is married to US astronaut Mark Kelly. Reuters

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (13)

Laila mandviwalla | 13 years ago | Reply @maria: here's a flipside for you, please read a thought provoking and important book by fareed zakaria 'the post American world' with particular reference to chapter 2. Indeed it is grand to hold our heads high, we deserve the reputation we build, does that make stereotyping justified? I think NOT.

G.Din | 13 years ago | Reply @Laila Mandviwalla "...if he were a muslim this would have totally been blasted out of proportion. " Have you ever felt so deeply curious as to ask yourself the question: why is that so? Might that have to do with something called "association". Every horrible event, every wicked deed, or most of them, is somehow "associated" with a Muslim, that is why. If there is another horrible event, another wicked deed our minds subconsciously go with the lessons already learnt. Earning and then keeping a good reputation is hard work but, oh, it is so nice to walk bright-eyed and tall!

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Faust | 13 years ago | Reply @Laila “It’s nice that we know nothing of the gunman who shot her, if he were a muslim this would have totally been blasted out of proportion” The left are blaming the violent, anti government gun loving rhetoric of the extreme right Tea party, the right are accusing the left of making political capital out of the tragedy. It would have been a different reaction if the gunman was Muslim yes, but this is not being swept under the carpet or ignored just because the gunman wasn't Muslim. It's causing huge debate.

Sabir Shah Hoti | 13 years ago | Reply This is a very horrible and criticle incident....it is very surprising that in the country like USA who is the super power its leaders are considerd more loyal to thier country these leaders are becoming the easy taget of extrimists but for the sake of what????.God may give her rapid health recovery.

Ali Haider | 13 years ago | Reply Another example of a screwed up mind that decided to kill.

Faust | 13 years ago | Reply Maria I think I was the level of popular support that the murderer of Salmaan Taseer received, rather then the murder itself, which shocked and disgusted many of us overseas. Even though it seems that Loughner is deeply deeply crazy (and yet they sold him a gun, despite the fact that he was being treated for a mental illness) many the US are blaming the violent language and rabble rousing of the Tea Party. Or Americans Mullahs as some call them.

Laila Mandviwalla | 13 years ago | Reply It's nice that we know nothing of the gunman who shot her, if he were a muslim this would have totally been blasted out of proportion. How pathetic. Goes to show that there are just as many conservative bigots in Arizona, obviously shoot the woman who talks of 'stem cell research and such'...tsk tsk tsk.

HASAN RAZA AWAN | 13 years ago | Reply Another wakeup call for politicians around the world. Intolerence. WHY? because people want implementation of words said in election compaigns.........

Disco Molvi | 13 years ago | Reply @Maria Do you see the murderer of Gabrielle Giffords being garlanded by US lawyers? Do you see the murderer of Gabrielle Giffords getting a hero's treatment? Do you see murderer being patted on the back by any American religious party? No you don't! Sure there are 'crack pots who kill' in every society and every religion. But you don't see them being condoned by the people, unlike what which we've witnessed in Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistanis like you, need to wake up to the reality!

amjad | 13 years ago | Reply Murder of Governor Taseer and attempted murder of Congresswoman Gifford, have one thing in common, both are the result of fanatic, fundamentalist right. In Pakistan they are the corrupt and ignorant, and illeterate mullahs, in Europe and America it is the fundamentalist Christian Right. In USA this group is now represented by journalists, talk show hosts and politicians who run their pen and mouth constantly on news papers, radio and TV, and think tank forums. I do not have to name names, the world knows them and they know themselves.. In Pakistan these people run their mouth against everythiong Western or American or liberal based on their own standards, no matter good or bad.

Hazar+ka+khulla | 13 years ago | Reply As the shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, is not a Muslim, the authorities are apparently not releasing more information. No one knows about the motives and the guys turns out to have psychiatric problems... Neither the media is characterizing him, stepping cautiously or may be its not even a big news.

Maria | 13 years ago | Reply It shows that there are crack pots who kill political leaders in every nation. I think Pakistanis need to wake up to the reality that we are not the only nation to suffer from political murders. I can think of several presidents who have survived murder attempts in the US and many Pakistanis in the US fear for the safety of President Obama too given the number of threats he has received from American extremists.

Eeman | 13 years ago | Reply Indoctrinations rotting human brain cells.

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