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Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shot in the head and gravely wounded Saturday outside a grocery store in Tucson, Ariz., while holding a public event.

The 40-year-old Arizona Democrat was recovering after surgery Saturday afternoon at University Medical Center in Tucson, according to her spokesman, C.J. Karamargin. The gunman, who has been identified by the Associated Press as Jared Laughner, shot her at close range and the bullet passed through her head.

"I'm very optimistic about recovery," a hospital official said at a Saturday afternoon news conference.

There were conflicting reports about Giffords condition throughout a chaotic afternoon in Arizona, and the shooting captivated official Washington, as President Barack Obama, Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi all issued statements condemning the shooting.

“At this time, the congresswoman is still in surgery. In situations like these, rumors run rampant,” Karamargin told POLITICO in response to several news reports that she had died.

Karamargin said he could not comment about whether other Giffords staffers were struck in the shooting, but that he was not hit.

Obama issued a statement several hours after the shooting and he said the congresswoman had been “gravely wounded.” At a news conference in Tuscon, hospital officials said one child had died in the shooting.

“This morning, in an unspeakable tragedy, a number of Americans were shot in Tuscon, Arizona, at a constituent meeting with Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford,” Obama said.

“We do not yet have all the answers. What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society. I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping Representative Giffords, the victims of this tragedy, and their families in our prayers,” the president added.



Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0...ravely-wounded

Update: Reuters, others confirm that Giffords has died.

Update 2: All sources are now saying she may still be alive. In surgery

Update 3: The Hospital where victims were rushed to are now saying Gabrielle Giffords is alive and in critical condition. A 9 year old child and a federal judge were killed, 5 are in critical condition and 5 others injured.

Authorities have identified Jared Laughner as the shooter at today's event. More info here.

That's terrible

She has died.

.

Did she really die? wtf I hate people sometimes.

Is she okay?

I am very upset about this. You want to know what makes this even more ****ed up? Take a look at what Sarah Palin had on her website. Just FYI, she took this down today after the shooting.



Since she took the website down today, look at this for a recap: http://johnthrasher.wordpress.com/20...presentatives/

Basically, Giffords was on the target list that I posted above, and the word choices that Sarah Palin used when describing the list were very interesting and could be deemed as an attempt to incite violence.

You are not the only one who thinks this.

CNN has not confirmed she died, she's in surgery.

Hope she recovers.

This is terrible, America is turning radical.

God, what a senseless tragedy. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who immediately thought of Palin's "hit list" when I first heard about the shooting.

Stupid Sarah Palin, now a ****ING NINE YEAR OLD is dead! I HATE HER!

What's the reason for the shooting?

WTF.

I think Sarah Palin's list is coincidental though! I hope it is :/

Gabrielle Giffords: Tea Party Target

No motives have emerged from today’s senseless shooting in Tucson, but Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has a long history of being targeted by the Tea Party—sometimes in violent terms.
In the run-up to 2010’s heated midterm elections, Arizona Democrat Gabrielle Giffords was placedon Sarah Palin's "target map," released in March, which featured gun crosshairs superimposed over her target's districts on a United States map. The graphic was removed from Palin’s website today. Palin has released a statement, saying her “sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona.”

Giffords' Republican opponent in the race, Jesse Kelly, whom she narrowly defeated, held a campaign event in which he invited supporters to shoot a machine gun. “Get on target for victory,” an ad for the event read. “Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office. Shoot a fully a automatic M16 with Jesse Kelley,” the ad continued.

As Giffords’ father rushed to the hospital after his daughter was shot, the New York Post asked him if his daughter had any enemies. “Yeah,” he said. “The whole Tea Party.” He continued: "They always get threat[ened]. We don’t really have any information. The police department was supposed to call us but they didn’t."
Authorities are holding Jared Laughner, 22, of Arizona in connection with the shooting.

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-a...-party-target/


The tea party is a complete disgrace. That is all. Thank you, you ignorant, misinformed, crazy bastards for promoting violence, and leading to the deaths of at least 6 people, a shooting of a federal judge, and a shooting in the head, point blank, of a Democratic US congresswoman. You all should be very proud. You are what is wrong with America, not the Democrats.