A US congresswoman and several other people have been shot at a public event in southern Arizona.

 

Gabrielle Giffords, a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives, was shot in the head at close range in front of hundreds of people.

 

A spokeswoman denied earlier reports that she had died and told ABC News she was in surgery.

 

A man was arrested after the shooting at a supermarket in Tucson where Ms Giffords was meeting constituents.

 

Members of her staff were among up to 12 other people who were also shot. Reports say one of her aides has died.

 

Ms Giffords, 40, who represents the eighth district of Arizona in the House, is married to space shuttle astronaut Mark Kelly.

 

She served on several congressional committees, including those covering the armed services and foreign affairs.

 

Jeff Rogers, chairman of the local Democrats, said Ms Giffords was "a rising star" in the party with hopes of eventually winning the Arizona Senate seat.

 

"That is terrible news," he told BBC News, describing her as "a wonderful congresswoman and a wonderful person".

 

He added: "We just can't continue to have this kind of carnage on school campuses and against public officials."

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12143774

:o :cry:

How terrible. :cry:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DMGrlSOsaE]YouTube - Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) Shot by Gunman in Tucson, Arizona[/ame]

Shot in the head at point blank from a meter. And it's not the first time she's been a target either.

 

Just read on Twitter that Sarah Palin just took down her website with this pic:

 

 

I don't know what it means but expect this to be in media.

For shame... Words have consequences and this is what happens when irresponsible people are given a platform to incite hate and encourage people not to think rationally. Terrible, just terrible.

It is on Danish TV2 news / live right now.

 

Gabrielle Giffords is 40 years old - is in favour of abortion and she voted in favour of the health reform. Last year there was a campaign against her in connection with the health reform debate - vandalism in her office.

 

She is still in a critical / serious state. One of her aides (helpers) has died.

 

18 were shot / injured.

 

EDIT at 22:30 (Danish tv2 news / live): 6 people were killed - one of them was a federal judge. President Obama called the shooting "a great tragedy" and "meaningless".

I heard this a few hours ago and I was not just sorry for Gabrielle but I was so disgusted some one would do something like this, it's not civil!

Poor lady RIP.

:cry: Disgusting. This world is so fucked up.

I heard this a few hours ago and I was not just sorry for Gabrielle but I was so disgusted some one would do something like this, it's not civil!

Poor lady RIP.

 

RIP indicates that she is dead. According to the news here she is still alive, but in a very critical / serious state.

Yes, she's not gone. There are conflicting reports that she's out of surgery and doctors are optimistic she'll pull through. God, I hope so.

President Obama called the shooting "meaningless".

 

Is that really the right word?

"an unspeakable tragedy" is his exact quote.

RIP indicates that she is dead. According to the news here she is still alive, but in a very critical / serious state.

 

Yes, she's not gone. There are conflicting reports that she's out of surgery and doctors are optimistic she'll pull through. God, I hope so.

 

I really hope she survives then!

For shame... Words have consequences and this is what happens when irresponsible people are given a platform to incite hate and encourage people not to think rationally. Terrible, just terrible.

Yep.

 

Though the shooter sounds like your standard paranoid nutcase- which you can't reason with- I have been saying for a while now that if something doesn't drastically change in American politics, the way things are now is the beginning of the road to another civil war.

 

In 30 to 60 years when the kids who grew up listening to their parents spout the sort of rhetoric that is going around are in charge and the last of the old hippies have died off, this sort of thing may lead to open armed conflict. This is the first shots.

 

This seems like a very good time to take a hard look at where everyone is and change course, because right now you all look like the frogs in the proverbial pot- the water may not seem too warm yet, but it's heating up. From the outside, American political debate is starting to sound downright psychotic. It shouldn't be a surprise that it's setting off genuine psychopaths.

 

(And for the record before anyone accuses me of conservative or liberal bias, I am saying this as an outsider- I don't have a party or a side and I think the left/right model of political discourse is inherently flawed, and in America's case potentially destructive.)

For shame... Words have consequences and this is what happens when irresponsible people are given a platform to incite hate and encourage people not to think rationally. Terrible, just terrible.

 

 

Exactly. I also read that one of people shot was actress Sofia Bush's 9!!! year old cousin. And I don't know if you guys knew already but Giffords is Gwyneth's cousin. Horrible.

Dallas Green's granddaughter was the little girl who was killed. He used to coach the Philadelphia Phillies. I met him in a mall when I was a teenager, he's quite nice. Feel awful that something this tragic happened.

 

 

RIP, and my condolences to the families of the dead.

 

 

This whole Democrat v Republican thing is getting scary.

I have to agree with that sheriff's speech and say: haters gonna hate, but you'd at least expect politicians to know when to stop with this stuff. I mean, Sarah Palin and her map with those targets on it, seriously? That's ridiculous.

I don't understand how his parents didn't get him treatment. He lived at home and was pathetically obviously fucked up.

I have to agree with that sheriff's speech and say: haters gonna hate, but you'd at least expect politicians to know when to stop with this stuff. I mean, Sarah Palin and her map with those targets on it, seriously? That's ridiculous.

 

What?(about Sarah Palin and her map with targets?)

What?(about Sarah Palin and her map with targets?)

 

 

Sarah put this on her website months ago of people in Congress who she wanted "removed" or "elected out." One of them was Gabby Giffords. Giffords even commented that they looked like targets that you would see to imply shooting someone.

She can see Russia from her house. Careful.

I have to agree with that sheriff's speech and say: haters gonna hate, but you'd at least expect politicians to know when to stop with this stuff. I mean, Sarah Palin and her map with those targets on it, seriously? That's ridiculous.

 

Sarah Palin is fucking mental.

This whole ordeal just proves even more than there need to be more gun control policies.

 

 

Sarah put this on her website months ago of people in Congress who she wanted "removed" or "elected out." One of them was Gabby Giffords. Giffords even commented that they looked like targets that you would see to imply shooting someone.

 

Yep, they are definitely targets with the hateful imagery of gunning them out.

It's not a surprise coming from Palin though. One night I decided to watch a bit of her tv show for the lulz, and the first few minutes were about her going buy buy ANOTHER gun (like she doesn't already have any) that she NEEDS so much because a bear WILL attack her on a camping trip.

This whole ordeal just proves even more than there need to be more gun control policies.

 

You can't have gun control with an open border. Law abiding citizens won't have the weapons but criminals will have open border to get the weapons still. It's easy to smuggle all kinds of illegal weapons across the border. The laws here won't make any difference to criminals who haven't a problem breaking a law.

But it is very easy for someone who wouldn't plan a shooting to get a gun, is it not?