By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and SARAH WHEATON
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| The flag flew at half-staff at the Capitol on Sunday. |
Representative Gabrielle Giffords remains in critical condition after being shot in the head at a meet-and-greet in her Tucson area neighborhood Saturday. Police now say that 20 people in total were shot and that six people were killed in that shooting, including federal judge John Roll.
This live blog will try to capture the latest developments throughout the day.
7:27 P.M. |Check NYTimes.com for Updates
The Caucus is standing down for the evening, but NYTimes.com is certainly not. Whether you're looking for the latest updates, profiles of the victims, reports on the shooting's aftermath from Arizona to Washington and more, check back throughout the night.
We'll be back tomorrow, where we'll be watching the moment of silence at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, an update on Ms. Giffords's condition at around noon E.T., and Mr. Loughner's court appearance at around 4 p.m. E.T.
Sarah
7:08 P.M. |Drugs Kept Loughner Out of Army
The Times's Thom Shanker reports: A military official said Sunday that the suspect was not accepted by Army recruiters because he failed a drug screening test.
6:26 P.M. |Bill to Ban Crosshairs
Representative Bob Brady of Pennsylvania told The Caucus he plans to introduce a bill that would ban symbols like that now-infamous campaign crosshair map.
"You can't threaten the president with a bullseye or a crosshair," Mr. Brady, a Democrat, said, and his measure would make it a crime to do so to a member of Congress or federal employee, as well.
Asked if he believed the map incited the gunman in Tucson, he replied, "I don't know what's in that nut's head. I would rather be safe than sorry."
He continued, "This is not a wakeup call. This is a major alarm going off. We need to be more civil with each other. We need to tone down this rhetoric."
5:19 P.M. |Concern and Condolence From Space
Last night, Scott Kelly tweeted from the International Space Station: "I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, words of condolences and encouragement for the victims and their families." The astronaut is the brother-in-law of Ms. Giffords, and the twin of her husband, Captain Mark E. Kelly. Captain Kelly is also an astronaut, and he was scheduled to take the helm of the space station in three months, though that is now in doubt, the A.P. reports.
4:25 P.M. |Bloomberg on Arizona and Gun Violence
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York took to Twitter to reiterate one of his signature positions: "As I said in church today, the tragic shootings in AZ are a terrible reminder of gun violence in America. My prayers are with the victims."
4:10 P.M. |Evidence of Premeditation Detailed
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| Jared Lee Loughner's house in Tucson. |
The federal complaint outlines discoveries from the investigation since the shooting on Saturday. In a search of Mr. Loughner's home, authorities found a note in a safe with a handwritten note saying, "I planned ahead," "My assassination," and "Giffords," as well as what appears to be Mr. Loughner's signature. Investigators also found a note, dated Aug. 30, 2007, addressed to "Mr. Jared Loughney" from Ms. Giffords's office thanking him for attending a "Congress in Your Corner" event in Tucson.
The complaint also details how Judge Roll came to be at the event. He received a call about it on Friday, and he came to speak to Ms. Giffords about the volume of cases at his federal district court -- bearing out the hypothesis offered by his colleague, Judge Alex Kozinski, to The Times's John Schwartz.
A Glock semi-automatic pistol that Mr. Loughner purchased on Nov. 30 in Tucson was recovered at the scene, according to the filing.
PDF of the criminal complaint
3:58 P.M. |Charges Filed
The United States Attorney in Arizona has filed five charges against Jared Lee Loughner: three charges of attempted murder (of Ms. Giffords and two members of her staff) and two charges of murdering federal employees (Judge Roll and Gabriel Zimmerman, the other Giffords staff member).
Mr. Loughner's first court appearance is scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m. in Phoenix.
3:26 P.M. |Security Briefing for Congress
In a conference call with members of both parties, Mr. Boehner said that he had the Sergeant at Arms, Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct an "in-depth security overview" for members of Congress on Wednesday, as well as for district directors.
2:52 P.M. |Sheriff: Second Suspect Was Cab Driver; Not Involved
My colleague Marc Lacey reports the following about the second suspect in the Arizona shooting:
The Pima County sheriff said on Sunday that the search for a second person had ended. He said that a man seen in a security video shortly before the suspect shooter went on his spree had been found and interviewed and cleared of any involvement in the shootings.
Investigators said that the second man was a taxi driver who drove the suspected gunman to the scene. Upon arriving there, the passenger said he did not have change and he and the taxi driver went into the supermarket for change and the two then walked out together and separated.
2:43 P.M. |Obama Calls for Moment of Silence Monday
President Obama will delay his scheduled trip to New York on Tuesday and will call for a nationwide moment of silence at 11 a.m. on Monday, the White House announced Sunday.
"Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. eastern standard time, I call on Americans to observe a moment of silence to honor the innocent victims of the senseless tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, including those still fighting for their lives," the president said in a statement. "It will be a time for us to come together as a nation in prayer or reflection, keeping the victims and their families closely at heart."
The president will observe the moment of silence with White House staff on the South Lawn of the White House, the statement said.
The president had been scheduled to travel to a General Electric battery factory in Schenectady on Tuesday.
In addition, the president issued a proclamation ordering that flags be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims of the shooting.
Here is the proclamation:
As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on Saturday, January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, January 14, 2011. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA
2:39 P.M. |Conservatives Take Issue With Links to Rhetoric
Erick Erickson, a leading conservative blogger, argues on Redstate.com that the media and left wing commentators are putting conservatives in danger by accusing them of being complicit in the Arizona shootings.
"By perpetuating the lie - by even treating it as a legitimate topic of consideration to revisit the accusations of violence and hate the media tried to run with prior to the November election - that the right and the tea party incited this evil act, the left and media may very well incite violence against the right," Mr. Erickson writes.
Mr. Erickson's post is similar to others on conservative websites which have taken issue with the argument that the heated political rhetoric may have influenced the gunman in the incident.
"The shooter is neither left-wing nor right-wing. He is crazy and evil - a word not used enough," Mr. Erickson writes. "The guy is very clearly not of the tea party movement, not a Dittohead, not led by Sarah Palin, me, or anyone else on the right."
He adds: "But the media, at least as of this morning and its accumulated coverage so far on this matter, could not care less. The media is intent on yet again exploring right-wing rhetoric and tea party hate. Left-wingers yesterday were falling all over themselves to blame everyone on the right for the horrific shooting."
Jack Shafer, writing in Slate, agrees with Mr. Erickson that the political rhetoric is not to blame.
He writes: "For as long as I've been alive, crosshairs and bull's-eyes have been an accepted part of the graphical lexicon when it comes to political debates. Such "inflammatory" words as targeting, attacking, destroying, blasting, crushing, burying, knee-capping, and others have similarly guided political thought and action. Not once have the use of these images or words tempted me or anybody else I know to kill. I've listened to, read-and even written!-vicious attacks on government without reaching for my gun. I've even gotten angry, for goodness' sake, without coming close to assassinating a politician or a judge."
"From what I can tell, I'm not an outlier," Mr. Shafer adds. "Only the tiniest handful of people-most of whom are already behind bars, in psychiatric institutions, or on psycho-meds-can be driven to kill by political whispers or shouts. Asking us to forever hold our tongues lest we awake their deeper demons infantilizes and neuters us and makes politicians no safer."
Those arguments anger those on the left. In a Twitter message, Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, called Shafer's article "nonsensical crap."
2:08 P.M. |Canada Offers Official Condolences For Arizona Shooting
Condolences continued to pour in Sunday for Ms. Giffords and the others shot in Arizona. Here's one from the foreign minister in Canada:
Canada Offers Condolences After Tragedy in Arizona
(No. 11 - January 8, 2010 - 11:30 p.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement on the shooting that took place this afternoon in Arizona.
"On behalf of the government and all Canadians, I offer my condolences to the family and friends of federal judge John Roll and the other innocent victims of this senseless act of violence. In particular, I offer sympathy to the family of the young girl among the victims, whose entire life was ahead of her.
"I would also like to wish a quick recovery to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and to all others who were injured.
"Canada stands with the people of the United States, our valued friend and neighbour, in this time of grief.
"Regardless of where they occur, attacks against democratically elected officials affect and undermine the safety of us all."
2:01 P.M. |Shooting Renews Debate Over Gun Control
The shooting in Arizona has once again sparked debate over the issue of gun control and the availability of guns like the one that Jared Laughner allegedly used in the incident.
Representative Raul Grijalva of Arizona, a Democratic colleague of Ms. Giffords, said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that gun laws "have to be examined."
And in an online posting, Paul Helmke, of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, wrote that "we can and should do more to address the easy access to high-powered guns that make it too easy for dangerous and irresponsible people to disrupt and destroy the lives of innocent Americans, and political leaders who are simply trying to serve their communities and our country."
Jim Brady, the former White House press secretary, and his wife, Sarah, issued their own statement, according to USA Today. The statement reads: "We know the deep pain and horror that all the family members and loved ones who have been made victims by this man and his gun are going through. We wish we didn't, but we know it too well."
Jim Brady was shot in the head during the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
But Republican lawmakers said Sunday morning that new gun laws are not the answer to stopping shootings like the one in Arizona.
"It's probably about a very sick individual and what should have been done for that person," said Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky on Fox News Sunday. "But the weapons don't kill people. It's the individual that killed these people."
Mr. Paul noted that Ms. Giffords, while a Democrat, is an avid supporter of gun rights in her state.
"Interestingly, Representative Giffords was a defender of the Second Amendment and is a defender of the Second Amendment," Mr. Paul noted. "So no, I don't think that plays into this at all. Really, I think they are unrelated."
1:38 P.M. |Couric to Anchor CBS News From Tucson Monday
Katie Couric, the CBS News anchor, becomes the latest media personality to head to Tucson in the wake of the Arizona shootings. A spokeswoman for the network emails that Ms. Couric will anchor Monday's broadcast from Tucson.
UPDATE: ABC's Diane Sawyer will also film her news program in Tucson on Monday.
1:35 P.M. |Sheriff: Loughner Was at 2007 Event With Giffords
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| F.B.I. Director Robert S. Mueller III and Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik on Sunday. |
The suspect in the Arizona shooting, Jared Loughner, was apparently at a similar meet-and-greet event with Ms. Giffords in 2007, authorities said Sunday.
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik told reporters that "there was some correspondence between Giffords' office and him about a similar event and he was invited to attend."
Sheriff Dupnik said he did not know anything more about the 2007 event or why Loughner would have been invited to it.
1:27 P.M. |Woman Tried to Stop Shooter as He Tried to Reload
The alleged shooter in Arizona was attempting to reload his weapon when a woman grabbed the gun's magazine and ripped it away from him, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik told reporters Sunday.
Mr. Dupnik said the woman was injured as she attempted to stop the suspect, who then tried to put another magazine in the gun, but the spring in the magazine failed.
The sheriff said that allowed two men to subdue the suspect until authorities arrived.
1:24 P.M. |F.B.I.: Domestic Terrorism Charges Possible in the Future
Mr. Mueller, the director of the F.B.I., said it is possible that the suspect in the case of the shooter could be eventually charged as a terrorist under the nation's domestic terrorism laws.
"I am not at all going to preclude the possibility that additional charges might be brought under the domestic terrorism statutes as the investigation continues," Mr. Mueller said.
1:20 P.M. |Rabbi: "This Is Our Time to Draw Together"
My colleague, Sam Dolnick, reports from Tuscon about a vigil Sunday morning for Ms. Giffords:
In Tucson, more than 100 people packed into the reform synagogue Congregation Chaverim Sunday morning for a prayer vigil for Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was a member, along with the other victims of the shooting.
It was the synagogue where Ms. Giffords, Arizona's first Jewish congresswoman, had her wedding to Navy captain Mark E. Kelly, officiated by Rabbi Stephanie Aaron in 2007.
The congregation brought out dozens of extra folding chairs, and congregants, their arms around each other swayed back and forth as they sang mourning prayers for the dead and wounded. Dozens of the people in the congregation knew Ms. Giffords but many others who didn't know her said they admired her and came to paid their respects. Some of those who gathered were not Jewish.
Rabbi Aaron was fighting back tears from the bema, as she talked about Ms. Giffords and asked the congregation to hold "Gabby's radiant smile" in their mind as they prayed. "This is our time to draw together," she said, adding that Ms. Giffords "has made such a difference in our Tucson community. May these prayers reach out to every person in this city of ours."
She concluded, "May we see each other in a new and different way. May we learn to truly listen to each other."
The service at the small multigenerational synagogue was one of many prayers and vigils going on today in Tucson for the victims of Saturday's shootings.
1:15 P.M. |Democrats Cancel Push Back Against Repeal Efforts
The shooting in Arizona continues to have impact on the political conversation in Washington.
Organizing for America, the political arm of President Obama and the Democratic National Committee, on Sunday announced that it was postponing plans to fight back against the Republican efforts to repeal health care legislation.
On Saturday, Republicans in the House announced they would delay the repeal efforts that had been scheduled for this coming week.
Here is the email from Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the DNC:
The events in the advisory below have been postponed due to yesterday's tragedy in Arizona.
***** MEDIA ADVISORY FOR JANUARY 10-12, 2011*****
Organizing for America Volunteers to Call On Members of Congress to Oppose Repeal of the Affordable Care Act
Activists will hold press conferences, host phone banks urging Congressional leaders to vote against repeal of health care law already benefitting millions of families and small businesses
Washington, D.C. - With Republicans planning to vote on legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act next week, OFA volunteers across the country will hold 71 press conferences in key districts around the country next week calling on Members of Congress to defend the tens of millions of Americans who are already benefiting from this historic law. OFA activists will hold press conferences outside the offices of Republican Representatives highlighting people in their communities who have been positively affected by provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Volunteers will also host phone banks to urge Republican Members of Congress to vote against repeal.
A repeal of the Affordable Care Act would be detrimental to tens of millions of Americans and blow a hole in the national deficit. If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, 5,615,000 people with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage, 3,765,298 seniors would pay more out of pocket for prescription drugs, and 24,658,000 young adults would no longer be able to stay on their parents insurance. On top of the harm to Americans, the Congressional Budget Office has projected a repeal would add $230 billion to the deficit over the next ten years.
For more information on how the Affordable Care Act is impacting communities around the country, you can go to http://progress.barackobama.com/healthcare.html.
1:12 P.M. |FBI Director: Charges to be Filed Sunday Afternoon
FBI Director Robert Mueller said there is "no information at this time to suspect any specific threat remains" in the aftermath of the shooting in Arizona.
He declined to speculate about a motive for the shooting. And he did not comment on questions about laws in Arizona that allow people to carry concealed weapons.
He said his agency was working with other agencies to "ensure that justice is done."
Regarding the "person of interest" that was announced by the Pima County sherff, Mr. Mueller said they are trying to identify a man they believe entered the store with the suspect. He said they do not believe the second individual is involved in the actual shooting, "but we need to identify him."
Mr. Mueller said he believes that charges in the shooting will be filed Sunday afternoon.
"I do believe he wil be charged with the assault on the congresswoman, the killing of Judge Roll, and the assault on the other staffers," Mr. Mueller said.
He said there have been discussions about the possibility about other charges that may be brought in federal or state court.
12:59 P.M. |VIDEO: Mother of Girl Says She Was "Robbed" of Princess
Roxanna Green, the mother of the nine-year-old girl who was killed in the Arizona shootings, said she was called by a friend to say that she should get to the hospital quickly on Saturday.
"We just all rushed over there," Ms. Green said on Fox News (see video below). "They told us the bad news, that she had a bullet hole through the chest. They tried to save her but she just couldn't make it. I saw her right after that. I spent a lot of time with her and said goodbye to her."
Ms. Green said she was "trying to be positive and strong, because that's what Christina would want." But she was clearly upset.
"I can't even put it into words," she said in the interview. "I can't express the devastation and hurt and how we were so robbed of our beautiful, beautiful princess."
The video can be found here.
12:41 P.M. |No Labels Group Calls For More Civility, Respect
No Labels, the group formed to promote a middle road in politics, issued a statement Sunday.
"The horrific act of violence that occurred Saturday in Arizona has shocked us all to our core and spurred many Americans to ask some hard questions, both about this specific incident and the larger political forces that may have contributed to it. We at No Labels believe this kind of conversation, as painful as the circumstances surrounding it are, is in the best interests and traditions of our country. At times of crisis, when our fundamental democratic values are threatened, we come together as Americans and directly confront our challenges.
But for our country to move forward from this tragedy, we have to talk carefully as well as candidly. We do not yet know all the facts behind this senseless act, and it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to rush to judgment or point fingers of blame at the moment, as some sadly have already done. This is no time for self-aggrandizement or partisan point-scoring -- that's part of the problem, not the solution.
It is clearly, though, a time for self-reflection, as Sheriff Dupnik eloquently put it. Based on the immediate and intuitive reactions of so many Americans, we know enough to say that something is deeply wrong with our political discourse -- and that with this incident, a dangerous line has been crossed. As we grieve for those who died and pray for the recovery of those who were injured, we hope this moment of mourning will lead us to engage each other with more civility and respect and see each other not as opponents or enemies but as Americans."
12:32 P.M. |Fox: Alleged Shooter May Have Ties to Racist Group
Fox News is reporting that the suspect in the Arizona shooting may have been influenced by American Renaissance, which the news channel describes as a pro-white racial publication.
On its Web site, Fox News cites an internal department of Homeland Security memo that says the alleged shooter, Jared Loughner, may have ties to the publication or the group that puts it out.
According to Fox News: "The DHS memo states that there is "no direct connection" between Loughner and the group, "but strong suspicion is being directed at AmRen / American Renaissance. Suspect is possibly linked to this group. (through videos posted on his MySpace and YouTube account.). The group's ideology is anti-government, anti-immigration, anti-ZOG (Zionist Occupational Government), anti-Semitic."
Officials at the Homeland Security department said Sunday morning they do not believe the document is from their department.
The network reports that the group's leader, Jared Taylor, denied ever having heard of Loughner until Saturday.
Here is the Fox report.
12:19 P.M. |Giffords Able to Follow Simple Commands; In Coma Now
Gabrielle Giffords was able to respond to simple commands -- like squeezing her hand or showing two fingers -- after two hours of surgery Saturday night, but her injuries are very serious and she remains in critical condition, her doctors said Sunday.
Speaking in a news conference at the hospital, her doctors said the bullet went through the left side of her brain, from the back to the front, but -- importantly, they said -- it did not cross into the right side of her brain.
The doctors said Ms. Giffords remains unable to speak on a ventilator. She is in a medically-induced coma but has been woken up a couple of times to be examined by the doctors.
The chief of neurosurgery, Michael Lemole, said that he is "cautiously optimistic" about her recovery, but he said that recovery could take months or longer depending on how the next few days go.
"The things that are most concerning to us is if the bullet crosses from one hemisphere to the other, from one side to the other," he said. "That was not the case."
11:49 A.M. |Shooting Dominated National & International Headlines
The headlines in papers across the country -- and even in some papers across the world -- were striking. Here are a few of them.
The Arizona Daily Star
The Arizona Republic
The Yuma Sun
The Los Angeles Times
The New York Times
The New York Post
The Washington Post
The Calgary Sun (Canada)
Los Tiempos (Bolivia)
El Emparcial (Mexico)
Granada Hoy, (Spain)
11:32 A.M. |President Orders Flags at Half-Mast; Talks With Kelly
President Obama spoke to Mark Kelly, the husband of Ms. Giffords, Saturday night and expressed "his deep concern and full support," according to Nick Shapiro, a White House spokesman.
The flags at the White House have been ordered to half-mast, Mr. Shapiro said. Mr. Obama was briefed on the shootings again Sunday morning at about 9 a.m. by his top homeland security adviser, John Brennan.
11:23 A.M. |VIDEO: Speaker Boehner Makes Remarks Saturday Morning
House Speaker John Boehner directed that the flags on the House side of the Capitol fly at half-mast in honor of Gabriel Zimmerman, 30, an aide to Ms. Giffords. Mr. Zimmerman was one of the people killed in the shooting Saturday.
Here are Mr. Boehner's comments:
11:15 A.M. |Palin Advisers Respond to Criticism About Target Map
One of Sarah Palin's top aides responded Sunday to mounting criticism that she had helped to incite the kind of violence that exploded in Arizona at a meet-and-greet by Ms. Giffords, wounding 20 and killing six.
In the wake of the shooting, many people drew attention to a map of the United States that had been part of one of Ms. Palin's Web sites that showed targets on the districts of lawmakers who supported President Obama's health care legislation.
Ms. Giffords was one of the targeted lawmakers, as she noted in an interview on MSNBC last year.
In a radio interview Saturday night, one of Ms. Palin's top aides, Rebecca Mansour, said of the map of lawmakers: "We never, ever, ever intended it to be gun sights." Ms Mansour said attemps to tie Ms. Palin to the violence were "obscene" and "appalling."
"I don't understand how anyone can be held responsible for someone who is completely mentally unstable like this," Ms. Mansour said. "Where I come from the person who is actually shooting is culpable. We had nothing whatsoever to do with this."
She added: "People who knew him said that he is left wing and very liberal. But that is not to say that I am blaming the left for him either."
Ms. Mansour, who helps run SarahPAC, Ms. Palin's political action committee, made the remarks to Tammy Bruce, a radio talk show host, on a podcast made public on the internet. Ms. Bruce is introduced at the beginning of her show as "a chick with a gun and a microphone."
Ms. Bruce complained on her show that liberals were incorrectly politicizing the shooting by blaming conservatives.
"We all know that the liberals, there's something wrong with them," Ms. Bruce said. "The reaction on the left was to start blaming somebody."
Ms. Bruce added that: "Saying that a mass murdering crazy guy is representative somehow of the political dialogue going on, especially with the non violent Tea Party movement....and yet there are attach this to the tea party and other politicians."
CORRECTION: A previous version of this post incorrectly attributed a Twitter message to Ms. Palin. The message was actually from a parody site designed to look like Ms. Palin's Twitter feed.
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