This is horrible:
Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot along with three of her aides by a gunman Saturday morning outside a grocery store in Tucson while holding a public event, Fox News has confirmed.
Twelve others were shot as well at Giffords’ “Your Corner” event held at Safeway. The gunman is in custody.
Sounds like it may have been an assassination attempt. I doubt it was over space policy, though. I hope it’s not as serious as it sounds. I’m kind of surprised that a gunman could shoot twelve people in Tucson without being shot himself — at least when I lived there, over thirty years ago, a lot of people open carried, in holsters.
[Update a couple minutes later]
NPR is no reporting that she was killed, with six others. My deepest condolences to her friends and family. I had deep disagreements with her on policy, and hoped for her electoral defeat, but this should not happen in a republic.
Of course, expect that “violent” Tea Party to be blamed in 3…2…1…
[Update a few more minutes later]
More over at Hot Air. The reporting still seems to be confused, but Fox News has also confirmed that she is dead.
[Update a couple minutes later]
OK, now Fox is saying alive but in critical condition. I guess we just have to wait a while for the fog of events to clear.
[Update a while later]
Out of surgery and “responsive” (which beats the alternative, I guess). Condolences to friends and family of those who didn’t survive.
Sheriff’s office reports that she and six others have died.
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/08/132764367/congresswoman-shot-in-arizona
local tucson news is contradicting NPR etc., saying that the hospital tells them she is surgery. maybe still some hope.
Based on my Twitter feed, the blame appears to be landing on Sarah Palin, who put a target on Giffords’ face on her website.
Naturally, there has been very little inquiry about the wholly irrelevant individual who actually did it.
A KosKoolaid drinker claimed Giffords was dead to him just 2 days go because she voted against Nancy Pelosi for Democrat Leader in the House. Early reports claim the shooter was young.
Whoever it was apparently knew how to shoot if the reports bare out that six are dead.
This is tragic and I echo Rand’s sentiments. As of 3:00 EST google is also reporting that she is in surgery after being shot in the head.
She could be dead, and in surgery, if they are harvesting organs.
Anyway: ugh.
Interesting space connection: her husband is astronaut Mark Kelly, who is scheduled to be the commander of STS-134, the last planned Shuttle flight.
Fox is now saying they have confirmed she was killed.
Fox and CNN are both reporting earlier reports that she had died are premature.
Hmmph. Apparently they back out even after the story had been “confirmed”.
Being in her district, not in Tucson though — I’m still somewhat shocked. I wish her well, and hope for the best.
The Kelly’s are twins.. Guess who’s Commander right now…
Last report I have seen say she is in surgery and Good Luck to her.
FOX reporting that she is out of surgery and responsive.
AP via Yahoo is reporting that it was an automatic weapon.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_congresswoman_shot
This has no place in our society.
Oh, stuff it, Wodun.
Yes, the left is already having a field day. We will have a month of how bad the right is on the morning shows. Now being reported he’s an Afghan war vet. Glad to hear she is responsive. Although with head injuries the worst to come can be hours later.
Wait, I jumped to conclusions – were you bashing guns, or were you saying political violence has no place in our society? If the latter, sorry, I’m with you on that one.
Preliminary reports are the shooter may have been a tin-foil hatter, troofer lefty.
So lets not jump to conclusions. The only one at fault is the shooter himself. Anyone who says othrwise is scum. Isn’t the fault of any political persuasion.
I am with TL James. If it is the latter, I agree, if it is the former, fuck you bastard!
Here is an excerpt from the writings of the shooter:
“If there’s no flag in the constitution then the flag in the film is unknown.
There’s no flag in the constitution.
Therefore, the flag in the film is unknown.
Burn every new and old flag that you see.
Burn your flag!
I bet you can imagine this in your mind with a faster speed.
Watch this protest in reverse!
Ask the local police; “What’s your illegal activity on duty?”.
If you protest the government then there’s a new government from protesting.
There’s not a new government from protesting.
Thus, you aren’t protesting the government.
There’s something important in this video: There’s no communication to anyone in this location.
You shouldn’t be afraid of the stars.
There’s a new bird on my right shoulder. The beak is two feet and lime green. The rarest bird on earth, there’s no feathers, but small grey scales all over the body. It’s with one large red eye with a light blue iris. The bird feet are the same as a woodpecker. This new bird and there’s only one, the gender is not female or male. The wings of this bird are beautiful; 3 feet wide with the shape of a bald eagle that you could die for. If you can see this bird then you will understand. You think this bird is able to chat about a government?
I want you to imagine a comet or meteoroid coming through the atmosphere.
On the other hand, welcome yourself to the desert: Maybe your ability to protest is from the brainwash of the current government structure.”
I see no right, no left, only Grade A NUT!!!
I was referring to the latter, my mistake for not being more clear. The great thing about our system of government is the peaceful transition of power. No matter how heated political arguments get, violence toward each other is never the answer.
But there are already people calling for gun control and blaming this on Palin and the Tea Party. I would be surprised if the weapon used was actually automatic but not surprised at all that it would be reported as such.
The first site I checked out after hearing about this was the Huffington Post and then Little Green Footballs. The comments were rather enlightening.
After watching the shooter’s youtube videos he certainly has nothing to do with the Tea Party. You could come to the conclusion that he is a leftist of the Anarchist variety.
Strangely, the shooter did not always use the best grammar. I’m not sure what to make of his metaphors.
“.This is a circus. Good Morning America just called me.
less than 5 seconds ago via Twitter for iPhone .
…@antderosa it’s loughner just checked my year book.
less than 20 seconds ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to antderosa
.@lakarune I haven’t seen him since ’07. Then, he was left wing.
25 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to lakarune
.@noboa more left. I haven’t seen him since ’07 though. He became very reclusive.
27 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to noboa
.@antderosa he had a lot of friends until he got alcohol poisoning in ’06, & dropped out of school. Mainly loner very philosophical.
29 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to antderosa
.@antderosa As I knew him he was left wing, quite liberal. & oddly obsessed with the 2012 prophecy.
33 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to antderosa
.@antderosa he was a pot head & into rock like Hendrix,The Doors, Anti-Flag. I haven’t seen him in person since ’07 in a sign language class
35 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to antderosa
.@antderosa He was a political radical & met Giffords once before in ’07, asked her a question & he told me she was “stupid & unintelligent”
37 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to antderosa
.@antderosa I can. That is him.
39 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to antderosa
.@antderosa I went to high school, college, & was in a band with the gunman. This tragedy has just turned to horrific.”
Just saw the above at say anything.
Then I am sorry for the above snap Woden. Obviously was not ment for you.
PS, Krugman is blaming the Tea Party:
http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/paul-krugman-blames-tea-party-for-giffords-shooting-compares-it-to-oklahoma-city/
M Puckett Says:
January 8th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Here is an excerpt from the writings of the shooter:
Have you got a link to that long rambling ahh whatever. Not doubting your word; jusy want a linkable source to point to in what will likely be a long rambleing “debate”.
I think it is transcripted from a video on his youtube channel.
Given the large prevalence of Handguns and Open Carry as State Law in AZ,
plus the state having a shall issue law on CCW permits, why didn’t one single person in the crowd shoot the gunman first?
I heard a CCW did shoot the gunman and stopped him.
The perps youtube account is under the name of:
Classitup10
Rand, didn’t take long at all:
“Of course, expect that “violent” Tea Party to be blamed in 3…2…1…”
Gabrielle Giffords’ father:
‘The whole Tea Party were
her enemies’
Daily Telegraph (UK), by Staff Original Article
Posted By: Desert Fox- 1/8/2011 6:14:45 PM
Of course it has already been proven it wasn’t the Tea Party.
A terrible day for those killed, wounded and the families of. Best wishes to them at this time.
F*ck Krugman and anyone else who abuses this horror to score political points.
Stars and Stripes reports the Army has record of him.
Bill: The Stars and Stripes Tweeter states that the Army has no record of contacts with the clown.
http://twitter.com/starsandstripes/statuses/23885416570552320
Do you have a different source of information?
jack lee:
From the description of the event, there could easily have been several individuals at the scene who were legally armed at the time, but did not have a clear shot at the gunman without endangering innocent bystanders.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-helmke/giffords-shooting-is-amer_b_806254.html
Brady idiots are already having an orgy in the still-warm blood.
According to CNN, he never served. He once made an attempt to enlist, but was turned down by the Army, which would not divulge the specific reasons, as per normal policy.
M Puckett Says:
January 8th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
“The perps youtube account is under the name of:
Classitup10”
Got it. Thanks.
So far, this guy seems like a lone nutcase, but the latest headline from CNN is they aren’t convinced he acted alone. So, more than one nut? Or are they just being (as they should) thorough?
I hope they nail anyone involved.
I’m not in Gifford’s district, but I’m somewhat familiar with her. I disagreed with her on Obamacare, etc, but she generally seems pretty decent. I wish her a speedy and full recovery.
My heart goes out to this lady and all the others involved today with this senseless act of violence. My thoughts and prayers are with you
They have an excellent hospital in Tucson that saved my mothers life many years ago. I hope for the best.
No TV now. So I’m not watching the circus.
I don’t see people open carry much here in AZ, but they do have guns.
I do hope those spreading lies get called on it.
According to the shooters YouTube page among his favorite books were “The Communist Manifesto” and “Mein Kampf”.
And all of his uploaded videos are rambling nonsense.
M Puckett Says:
January 8th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
I see no right, no left, only Grade A NUT!!!
Yup. A Grade A nut who was nevertheless able to obtain at least a semi-automatic weapon. Isn’t the 2nd Amendment wonderful?
Of course, there is always the first half of it…
Anyway, thanks to the surgeons who saved her life and RIP to the six who died.
“Yup. A Grade A nut who was nevertheless able to obtain at least a semi-automatic weapon. Isn’t the 2nd Amendment wonderful?”
You’re not helping, Fletcher.
“Yup. A Grade A nut who was nevertheless able to obtain at least a semi-automatic weapon. Isn’t the 2nd Amendment wonderful?
Of course, there is always the first half of it…”
First half of what?
Are you dizzy from practicing prostrating yourself to the Caliphate? Because that is the sole option of an unarmed subject.
How fucked-up is someone who fears a Caliphate yet refuses to participate in his own defense?
You don’t understand Fletcher’s important point, M Puckett: we should totally put more restrictions on the law-abiding citizen (i.e., by outlawing guns, etc.). And then by some sort of magical osmosis, the crazy and the criminal everywhere will no longer be able to use guns to do anything bad.
The comedy of errors continues.
You mean like the scene in the movie “The Jerk” where Emmett Walsh Jr was trying to kill Navin R. Johnson but would not follow him past that sign marked “Circus Personnel Only”, protesting “He can’t go in there, he’s not circus personnel!”.
Because homicidal maniacs always obey the rules. Better rules will keep us safe.
Does anyone here at all think it’s a good idea to prevent the mentally unhinged from owning deadly weapons? Or not?
I hardly think that a paranoid schizophrenic would contribute very much to a “well-regulated militia”. Answering M. Puckett. From memory only, “a well-regulated militia being essential”.
Fletcher, in theory or in practice? Does everyone have to sit down with a distinguished medical professional *cough* before getting a license to own a gun or is it one of those “have you ever been declared mentally unfit?” questions that would actually be totally ineffective?