Related News
Suspect in Arizona shooting spree appears in court
Source: Agencies |
January 11, 2011, Tuesday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
A troubled 22-year-old college dropout made his first court appearance yesterday on five federal charges, including the attempted assassination of US Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who remained in critical condition with a bullet wound to the head.
His hands manacled together, Jared Lee Loughner said in a strong voice he understood the charges against him involving a shooting spree in Tucson on Saturday that left six people dead and 14 others wounded.
The bloody rampage -- at an event Giffords hosted for constituents -- has fueled debate about whether heated rhetoric seen in recent US political campaigns can lead to violence.
President Barack Obama, who stressed unity after the shootings, plans to go to Arizona tomorrow to attend a memorial service for the dead, who included a federal judge, a 9-year-old girl and one of Giffords' young aides.
Last year, Giffords had warned that angry campaign talk had prompted violent threats against her and vandalism at her office.
A police mug shot taken of Loughner after his arrest and released on Monday shows the accused killer, who faces a possible death sentence, smiling broadly.
At his court appearance, Loughner's lawyer waived a detention hearing. Federal Magistrate Judge Lawrence Anderson ordered Loughner held, calling him a danger to the community.
The judge scheduled a January 24 preliminary hearing.
Having survived a shot to the head at point-blank range, Giffords, a popular 40-year-old Democrat, remained in critical condition at a Tucson hospital.
Doctors said there was no increased swelling of her brain and she continued to respond to simple commands such as squeezing a finger and wiggling her toes.
"There have been no complications," Dr. Peter Rhee of University Medical Center in Tucson told the PBS program "Newshour." "We're happy with where we are. But we have to give her some time to see how she's going to do."
A single bullet passed through her brain on the left side, hitting an area that controls speech. The extent of brain damage she may have suffered is uncertain, doctors said.
At the White House, Obama mourned the dead.
"Right now the main thing we're doing is to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who've been impacted, making sure that we're joining together and pulling together as a country," Obama said.
With heads bowed, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama paused for a moment of silence. A bell tolled three times as an estimated 300 White House staffers offered their respects.
Separately, Obama spoke to some of the families of shooting victims and to bystanders Patricia Maisch and Roger Salzgeber, who helped stop the gunman.
"The president thanked them for their heroic actions and told them that their quick thinking and bravery represented the best of America," said White House spokesman Nick Shapiro.
While the motive for the attack was not yet clear, people who knew Loughner said he was a troubled loner. Loughner withdrew from Pima Community College in October after several encounters with campus police, college officials said.
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.
The US government has charged him with two counts of first-degree murder, which could carry the death penalty; one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress and two other counts of attempted murder.
He is accused of opening fire with a semi-automatic Glock pistol while the congresswoman was attending a political event in a supermarket parking lot.
His hands manacled together, Jared Lee Loughner said in a strong voice he understood the charges against him involving a shooting spree in Tucson on Saturday that left six people dead and 14 others wounded.
The bloody rampage -- at an event Giffords hosted for constituents -- has fueled debate about whether heated rhetoric seen in recent US political campaigns can lead to violence.
President Barack Obama, who stressed unity after the shootings, plans to go to Arizona tomorrow to attend a memorial service for the dead, who included a federal judge, a 9-year-old girl and one of Giffords' young aides.
Last year, Giffords had warned that angry campaign talk had prompted violent threats against her and vandalism at her office.
A police mug shot taken of Loughner after his arrest and released on Monday shows the accused killer, who faces a possible death sentence, smiling broadly.
At his court appearance, Loughner's lawyer waived a detention hearing. Federal Magistrate Judge Lawrence Anderson ordered Loughner held, calling him a danger to the community.
The judge scheduled a January 24 preliminary hearing.
Having survived a shot to the head at point-blank range, Giffords, a popular 40-year-old Democrat, remained in critical condition at a Tucson hospital.
Doctors said there was no increased swelling of her brain and she continued to respond to simple commands such as squeezing a finger and wiggling her toes.
"There have been no complications," Dr. Peter Rhee of University Medical Center in Tucson told the PBS program "Newshour." "We're happy with where we are. But we have to give her some time to see how she's going to do."
A single bullet passed through her brain on the left side, hitting an area that controls speech. The extent of brain damage she may have suffered is uncertain, doctors said.
At the White House, Obama mourned the dead.
"Right now the main thing we're doing is to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who've been impacted, making sure that we're joining together and pulling together as a country," Obama said.
With heads bowed, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama paused for a moment of silence. A bell tolled three times as an estimated 300 White House staffers offered their respects.
Separately, Obama spoke to some of the families of shooting victims and to bystanders Patricia Maisch and Roger Salzgeber, who helped stop the gunman.
"The president thanked them for their heroic actions and told them that their quick thinking and bravery represented the best of America," said White House spokesman Nick Shapiro.
While the motive for the attack was not yet clear, people who knew Loughner said he was a troubled loner. Loughner withdrew from Pima Community College in October after several encounters with campus police, college officials said.
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.
The US government has charged him with two counts of first-degree murder, which could carry the death penalty; one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress and two other counts of attempted murder.
He is accused of opening fire with a semi-automatic Glock pistol while the congresswoman was attending a political event in a supermarket parking lot.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
