PHOENIX, Ariz. - The 22-year-old man accused of trying to
assassinate a U.S. congresswoman in a shooting spree that left six
people dead and more than a dozen wounded bought his
ammunition at a Walmart store hours before the rampage, the
Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Jared Loughner, described by authorities and associates as a loner
with deep distrust of the government was turned away from one
Walmart when he tried to purchase ammunition but was sold the
bullets at another Walmart nearby, the Journal reported, citing
people familiar with the case.
It was unclear why he was turned away from the first store, the
Journal said.
Loughner made his first appearance in federal court in Phoenix on
Monday. He entered the courtroom in shackles and wearing a tan
inmate uniform. His head was shaved and he had a cut on his
right temple.
His expression was impassive as he walked in. He looked at the
crowd at the back of the room packed with reporters, then turned
around to speak to his attorney, Judy Clarke.
The judge asked Loughner if he understood that he could get life
in prison — or the death penalty — for killing federal Judge John
Roll, one of the six who died in the shooting rampage on Saturday
in Tucson. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded in the
attack.
"Yes," he said in a deep voice. A U.S. marshal stood guard
nearby.
The judge ordered Loughner held without bail. The next court
hearing was set for Jan. 24.
Federal judges from the Southern District of Arizona all recused
themselves from hearing the case because Roll was their
colleague. That means a judge from outside Arizona would likely
be called to preside over the case.
Loughner has remained silent about a possible motive, according
to sheriff's officials.
Earlier Monday, President Barack Obama led the nation in a
moment of silence to remember the victims. As members of
Congress stood on the steps on the Capitol, the president and first
lady stood on the South Lawn of the White House with hands
clasped and heads bowed for approximately one minute.
Speaking later in the Oval Office alongside visiting French President
Nicolas Sarkozy, Obama said the nation is still "grieving and
shocked" over the attempted assassination.
Giffords, a 40-year-old Democrat who was shot in the head,
remained in critical condition after surgery but was able to follow
simple commands, such as holding up two fingers when asked.
Doctors at University Medical Center in Tucson said they were
cautiously optimistic about her chances for recovery.
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik of Pima County, where the shootings
occurred, said Loughner was not cooperating. He told ABC News
the suspect had said "not a word" to investigators.
Dupnik said authorities were all but certain Loughner acted alone,
saying "he's a typical troubled individual who's a loner."
But Dupnik told the TODAY show that political rhetoric may have
contributed to Loughner's actions. "I think the tone of rhetoric
that's occurred in this country over the past couple of years
affects troubled personalities," he said.
Investigators were still going through Loughner's computer and
e-mails to learn more about a possible motive.
'My assassination'
Investigators said they had found an envelope at Loughner's
residence with the handwritten phrases "I planned ahead" and "My
assassination," along with the name "Giffords" and what appeared
to be Loughner's signature.
Federal officials told NBC News they also found a note addressed
to Giffords — but apparently never sent — in which Loughner
expresses his strong dislike for her.
Those familiar with the letter described it as threatening but said it
does not state that he intended to kill her. It is not clear when the
letter was written.
Police said Loughner purchased the semi-automatic Glock pistol
used in the attack in November.
Court documents indicated Loughner had bought the weapon
legally from the Sportsman ’s Warehouse in Tucson. The state's
laws allow the carrying of concealed weapons.
The FBI's affidavit supporting federal charges indicates there is
surveillance camera video of the shooting. "Your affiant reviewed
a digital surveillance video depicting the events at the Safeway..."
the affidavit says in part.
Loughner is being represented in federal court by Judy Clarke, the
lawyer who helped defend Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.
Clarke, a former federal public defender in San Diego and Spokane,
Wash., also served on teams that defended Oklahoma City
bombing conspirator Timothy McVeigh and Susan Smith, a South
Carolina woman who drowned her two sons in 1994.
Pima County authorities said they planned to pursue state murder
charges against Loughner as well. "This is not just a professional
matter for me but a personal one since I knew many of these
victims, ” Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall said, according to
the New York Times.
The six killed included U.S. District Judge John Roll, 63, and 9-year-
old Christina Taylor Green, who was born on Sept. 11, 2001, and
was featured in a book called "Faces of Hope" that chronicled one
baby from each state born on the day terrorists killed nearly 3,000
people.
Green was recently elected as a student council member and went
to the morning's event because of her interest in government.
Others killed were Giffords' aide Gabe Zimmerman, 30; Dorothy
Morris, 76; Dorwin Stoddard, 76; and Phyllis Scheck, 79.
Gov. Jan Brewer, in her revised State of the State address Monday
to the state Legislature, said: "We will never be brought down."
"Tragedy and terror sometimes come from the shadows and
steal our joy and take away our peace," said Brewer, a Republican,
who called Giffords "my good friend" and federal judge John Roll,
who was among those killed, an "outstanding" public servant.
Brewer led lawmakers in a standing ovation for Daniel Hernandez,
the intern on Giffords' staff whose quick action to fashion
makeshift bandages and apply pressure to her head wound has
been credited with possibly saving her life.
Cautious optimism
Doctors said Monday that Giffords' brain remains swollen, but the
pressure hasn't increased.
"At this phase in the game, no change is good and we have no
change," Dr. G. Michael Lemole Jr., the chief of neurosurgery at
University Medical Center in Tucson, told reporters.
A single bullet traveled the length of her brain on the left side,
hitting an area that controls speech.
She has been put into an induced coma but is being awakened
frequently to check her progress. Lemole, who operated on
Giffords, earlier Monday told TODAY that he remained "cautiously
optimistic."
Video: Neurosurgeon: Giffords ‘holding her own’
"I just came from Congresswoman Giffords' bedside and I'm
happy to say she's holding her own. And that is to say that she's
doing the same things she was yesterday. And that's the most we
can hope for at this time," he told TODAY.
The day before she was wounded, Giffords sent an e-mail to a
friend in Kentucky discussing how to "tone our rhetoric and
partisanship down." In the message, obtained by The Associated
Press, the Democratic congresswoman on Friday congratulated
Republican Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson on his new
position as director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics.
She wrote him: "After you get settled, I would love to talk about
what we can do to promote centrism and moderation. I am one
of only 12 Dems left in a GOP district (the only woman) and think
that we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and
partisanship down."
Space station commander Scott Kelly, whose identical twin
brother Mark Kelly is married to Giffords and is also an astronaut,
led NASA in a moment of silence Monday as part of the national
observance for all the victims of Saturday's shooting.
Flight controllers in Houston fell silent as Scott Kelly spoke via radio
from space. "We have a unique vantage point here aboard the
International Space Station," he said. "As I look out the window, I
see a very beautiful planet that seems very inviting and peaceful.
Unfortunately, it is not."
"These days, we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts
of violence and damage we can inflict upon one another, not just
with our actions, but also with our irresponsible words," he said.
"We're better than this. We must do better."
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Monday
said the shootings will prompt a review of safety precautions for
members of Congress.
"When an elected representative is gunned down in the very act
of exchanging ideas with his or her constituents, democracy itself
is attacked," McConnell said at the start of his meeting with a
group of students at Martha Layne Collins High School in Shelby
County.
Of those injured in the shooting spree, eight were still hospitalized.
Aside from Giffords, five were in serious condition and two in
good condition.
Meanwhile, the leader of Westboro Baptist Church, an anti-gay
Kansas-based church best known for picketing the funerals of
slain U.S. soldiers and gay-pride gatherings, said its members will
picket the funerals of the 9-year-old girl and five others killed in
Saturday's attack. In a video, Fred Phelps says God sent the
shooter to avenge the nation's sins.
"Thank God for the violent shooter," Phelps proclaims.
"We will remind the living that you can still repent and obey. This
is ultimatum time with God."
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40997616/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
assassinate a U.S. congresswoman in a shooting spree that left six
people dead and more than a dozen wounded bought his
ammunition at a Walmart store hours before the rampage, the
Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Jared Loughner, described by authorities and associates as a loner
with deep distrust of the government was turned away from one
Walmart when he tried to purchase ammunition but was sold the
bullets at another Walmart nearby, the Journal reported, citing
people familiar with the case.
It was unclear why he was turned away from the first store, the
Journal said.
Loughner made his first appearance in federal court in Phoenix on
Monday. He entered the courtroom in shackles and wearing a tan
inmate uniform. His head was shaved and he had a cut on his
right temple.
His expression was impassive as he walked in. He looked at the
crowd at the back of the room packed with reporters, then turned
around to speak to his attorney, Judy Clarke.
The judge asked Loughner if he understood that he could get life
in prison — or the death penalty — for killing federal Judge John
Roll, one of the six who died in the shooting rampage on Saturday
in Tucson. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded in the
attack.
"Yes," he said in a deep voice. A U.S. marshal stood guard
nearby.
The judge ordered Loughner held without bail. The next court
hearing was set for Jan. 24.
Federal judges from the Southern District of Arizona all recused
themselves from hearing the case because Roll was their
colleague. That means a judge from outside Arizona would likely
be called to preside over the case.
Loughner has remained silent about a possible motive, according
to sheriff's officials.
Earlier Monday, President Barack Obama led the nation in a
moment of silence to remember the victims. As members of
Congress stood on the steps on the Capitol, the president and first
lady stood on the South Lawn of the White House with hands
clasped and heads bowed for approximately one minute.
Speaking later in the Oval Office alongside visiting French President
Nicolas Sarkozy, Obama said the nation is still "grieving and
shocked" over the attempted assassination.
Giffords, a 40-year-old Democrat who was shot in the head,
remained in critical condition after surgery but was able to follow
simple commands, such as holding up two fingers when asked.
Doctors at University Medical Center in Tucson said they were
cautiously optimistic about her chances for recovery.
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik of Pima County, where the shootings
occurred, said Loughner was not cooperating. He told ABC News
the suspect had said "not a word" to investigators.
Dupnik said authorities were all but certain Loughner acted alone,
saying "he's a typical troubled individual who's a loner."
But Dupnik told the TODAY show that political rhetoric may have
contributed to Loughner's actions. "I think the tone of rhetoric
that's occurred in this country over the past couple of years
affects troubled personalities," he said.
Investigators were still going through Loughner's computer and
e-mails to learn more about a possible motive.
'My assassination'
Investigators said they had found an envelope at Loughner's
residence with the handwritten phrases "I planned ahead" and "My
assassination," along with the name "Giffords" and what appeared
to be Loughner's signature.
Federal officials told NBC News they also found a note addressed
to Giffords — but apparently never sent — in which Loughner
expresses his strong dislike for her.
Those familiar with the letter described it as threatening but said it
does not state that he intended to kill her. It is not clear when the
letter was written.
Police said Loughner purchased the semi-automatic Glock pistol
used in the attack in November.
Court documents indicated Loughner had bought the weapon
legally from the Sportsman ’s Warehouse in Tucson. The state's
laws allow the carrying of concealed weapons.
The FBI's affidavit supporting federal charges indicates there is
surveillance camera video of the shooting. "Your affiant reviewed
a digital surveillance video depicting the events at the Safeway..."
the affidavit says in part.
Loughner is being represented in federal court by Judy Clarke, the
lawyer who helped defend Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.
Clarke, a former federal public defender in San Diego and Spokane,
Wash., also served on teams that defended Oklahoma City
bombing conspirator Timothy McVeigh and Susan Smith, a South
Carolina woman who drowned her two sons in 1994.
Pima County authorities said they planned to pursue state murder
charges against Loughner as well. "This is not just a professional
matter for me but a personal one since I knew many of these
victims, ” Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall said, according to
the New York Times.
The six killed included U.S. District Judge John Roll, 63, and 9-year-
old Christina Taylor Green, who was born on Sept. 11, 2001, and
was featured in a book called "Faces of Hope" that chronicled one
baby from each state born on the day terrorists killed nearly 3,000
people.
Green was recently elected as a student council member and went
to the morning's event because of her interest in government.
Others killed were Giffords' aide Gabe Zimmerman, 30; Dorothy
Morris, 76; Dorwin Stoddard, 76; and Phyllis Scheck, 79.
Gov. Jan Brewer, in her revised State of the State address Monday
to the state Legislature, said: "We will never be brought down."
"Tragedy and terror sometimes come from the shadows and
steal our joy and take away our peace," said Brewer, a Republican,
who called Giffords "my good friend" and federal judge John Roll,
who was among those killed, an "outstanding" public servant.
Brewer led lawmakers in a standing ovation for Daniel Hernandez,
the intern on Giffords' staff whose quick action to fashion
makeshift bandages and apply pressure to her head wound has
been credited with possibly saving her life.
Cautious optimism
Doctors said Monday that Giffords' brain remains swollen, but the
pressure hasn't increased.
"At this phase in the game, no change is good and we have no
change," Dr. G. Michael Lemole Jr., the chief of neurosurgery at
University Medical Center in Tucson, told reporters.
A single bullet traveled the length of her brain on the left side,
hitting an area that controls speech.
She has been put into an induced coma but is being awakened
frequently to check her progress. Lemole, who operated on
Giffords, earlier Monday told TODAY that he remained "cautiously
optimistic."
Video: Neurosurgeon: Giffords ‘holding her own’
"I just came from Congresswoman Giffords' bedside and I'm
happy to say she's holding her own. And that is to say that she's
doing the same things she was yesterday. And that's the most we
can hope for at this time," he told TODAY.
The day before she was wounded, Giffords sent an e-mail to a
friend in Kentucky discussing how to "tone our rhetoric and
partisanship down." In the message, obtained by The Associated
Press, the Democratic congresswoman on Friday congratulated
Republican Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson on his new
position as director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics.
She wrote him: "After you get settled, I would love to talk about
what we can do to promote centrism and moderation. I am one
of only 12 Dems left in a GOP district (the only woman) and think
that we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and
partisanship down."
Space station commander Scott Kelly, whose identical twin
brother Mark Kelly is married to Giffords and is also an astronaut,
led NASA in a moment of silence Monday as part of the national
observance for all the victims of Saturday's shooting.
Flight controllers in Houston fell silent as Scott Kelly spoke via radio
from space. "We have a unique vantage point here aboard the
International Space Station," he said. "As I look out the window, I
see a very beautiful planet that seems very inviting and peaceful.
Unfortunately, it is not."
"These days, we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts
of violence and damage we can inflict upon one another, not just
with our actions, but also with our irresponsible words," he said.
"We're better than this. We must do better."
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Monday
said the shootings will prompt a review of safety precautions for
members of Congress.
"When an elected representative is gunned down in the very act
of exchanging ideas with his or her constituents, democracy itself
is attacked," McConnell said at the start of his meeting with a
group of students at Martha Layne Collins High School in Shelby
County.
Of those injured in the shooting spree, eight were still hospitalized.
Aside from Giffords, five were in serious condition and two in
good condition.
Meanwhile, the leader of Westboro Baptist Church, an anti-gay
Kansas-based church best known for picketing the funerals of
slain U.S. soldiers and gay-pride gatherings, said its members will
picket the funerals of the 9-year-old girl and five others killed in
Saturday's attack. In a video, Fred Phelps says God sent the
shooter to avenge the nation's sins.
"Thank God for the violent shooter," Phelps proclaims.
"We will remind the living that you can still repent and obey. This
is ultimatum time with God."
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40997616/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
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