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Hoping that this thread can stay NEWS RELATED.

Given that we're all quite concerned about the future, both immediate AND long term, it might not be so bad an idea to see how the general dissemination of hard news proceeds,...Local v. National v. International.

So,....Hats OFF to Danny Hernandez !

GTC




Meet Daniel Hernandez, the intern who likely saved Gabrielle Giffords� life
By Holly Bailey

By Holly Bailey � 1 hr 24 mins ago

Daniel Hernandez had only been Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' intern for five days, and on Saturday, he may have saved her life.

The University of Arizona junior was standing 30 feet away from the Democratic congresswoman when she was shot in the head at a meet-and-greet event in her district, and he immediately rushed to her side. As everyone on hand waited for emergency medical support to arrive, Hernandez held Giffords's head in his lap and applied pressure to her wound.

At the same time, Hernandez advised others on providing help for the other 20 others injured and killed in the attack—and that quick thinking has led many to label him a hero in Saturday's horrific event.

"When I heard gunshots, my first instinct was to head toward the congresswoman to make sure that she was okay," Hernandez said in an interview with ABC's Christine Amanpour Sunday. "Once I saw that she was down, and there were more than one victim, I went ahead and started doing the limited triage that I could with what I had."

Hernandez, who is 20, told ABC that he simply "shut off all emotion." "I knew I wouldn't be good to anyone if I had a breakdown," he recalled. He noted that he went to help because he had "limited experience in triage and training."

He lifted up Giffords' head, because he feared she might choke on her own blood, and used smocks from the grocery store's meat department as a makeshift bandages for her and other victims.

Giffords, he says, was alert, but couldn't talk.

"'Just grab my hand to let me know that you're okay,'" he recalls telling the injured lawmaker.

According to Hernandez, she squeezed his hand, and he didn't let go, riding with her in the ambulance to the hospital, where she was rushed into emergency surgery.

"It was probably not the best idea to run toward the gunshots," he told the Arizona Republic. "But people needed help."

(Photo of Hernandez and Giffords: James Palka/AP)
_________________________
MEMBER,CLAN OF THE BORDER RATS

"You border rats, better get used to how things are, don't see much change coming..." HUNTER1960

Prety amazing performance by this young man in a terribly high pressure situation.

Prayers,...if you got em'


Link: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/9a649630-1c14-11e0-8039-001cc4c03286.html

Giffords' medical condition called 'very precarious'

By Rhonda Bodfield, Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, January 9, 2011 10:17 am


Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was in surgery within 38 minutes of arriving at University Medical Center with a gunshot "devastating wound" to the head that required the removal of half her skull, doctors said at a news conference this morning.

Doctors said Giffords is sedated and remains in critical condition, though she is responding to simple commands. She is in a medically-induced coma and doctors called her medical condition �very precarious,' but said they remain cautiously optimistic about her prognosis.

Giffords was shot on the left side of the head and the bullet traveled from the back to the front, said Dr. G. Michael Lemole Jr., one of the neurosurgeons who operated on Giffords. The left side of the brain controls speech and right side strength on most people..

Giffords remained on a ventilator today. He said he eyes are swollen shut.

While doctors said Giffords was responsive they were cautious of overstating her condition, saying several times she was in critical condition.

Lemole says surgeons worked to reduce pressure from swelling in the brain by removing bone fragments.

Giffords was shot by a gunman on Saturday as she met with constituents outside a grocery store.

Six others were killed, and 14 wounded, including the congresswoman.

Dr. Peter M. Rhee said he expects to have a better idea about Giffords' prognosis in the next few days.

Doctors credited several reasons for her survival, including good luck and the fact that paramedics got her to surgeons quickly.

"This is about as good as it is going to get," said Dr. Peter Rhee, a trauma surgeon. "When you get shot in the head and the bullet goes through your brain, the chances of you living is very small and the chances of you waking up and actually following commands is even much smaller than that. Hopefully it will stay that way."

Damn.

Damn, damn, damn.

Thanks for the updates, GTC.

This is bone stock A.P. coverage, looks to be worth putting up

GTC



Link: http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/surgeons-say-giffords-showing-positive-signs-1.2596596

Surgeons say Giffords showing positive signs

Originally published: January 9, 2011 7:01 AM


TUCSON, Ariz. - (AP) � Doctors treating wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords provided an optimistic update Sunday about her chances for survival, saying they are "very, very encouraged" by her ability to respond to simple commands along with their success in controlling her bleeding.

The FBI said law enforcement could bring charges against the gunman as early as Sunday, and House Speaker John Boehner said normal House business this week has been postponed in the aftermath of the shooting.

Surgeons said a bullet went through Giffords' head on the left side of the brain, but she is still able to respond nonverbally to commands such as squeezing a hand or showing two fingers. They credited several reasons for her survival, including good luck and the fact that paramedics got her to surgeons quickly � in under 40 minutes.

"This is about as good as it is going to get," said Dr. Peter Rhee, a trauma surgeon. "When you get shot in the head and the bullet goes through your brain, the chances of you living is very small and the chances of you waking up and actually following commands is even much smaller than that. Hopefully it will stay that way."

Surgeons worked to reduce pressure from swelling in her head by removing bone fragments, and they also removed a small amount of badly damaged brain. Giffords cannot speak because she is on a ventilator.

Dr. Michael Lemole of the University Medical Center in Tucson would not speculate on her degree of recovery. "We talk about recovery in months to years," he said.

The medical prognosis came as authorities investigated the motivation of a gunman in an attempted assassination of the three-term Democrat and the killing of six people, including a federal judge, an aide to Giffords and a 9-year-old girl who was born on Sept. 11, 2001.

Mourners crammed into the tiny sanctuary of Giffords' synagogue in Tucson to pray that she quickly recovered. Outside the hospital, candles flickered at a makeshift memorial. Signs read "Peace + love are stronger," ''God bless America and "We love you, Gabrielle." People also laid down bouquets of flowers, American flags and pictures of Giffords.

Police say the shooter was in custody, and was identified by the FBI as Jared Loughner, 22. He was described by friends as a pot-smoking loner who was rejected by the Army when he tried to enlist in 2008. He dropped out of a local community college after having five contacts with campus police for classroom and library disruptions last year.

His motivation was not immediately known, but Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik described him as mentally unstable and possibly acting with an accomplice.

Authorities said Giffords, 40, was targeted at a public gathering by a man with a semiautomatic weapon around 10 a.m. Saturday outside a busy Tucson supermarket. Fourteen people were injured.

He also fired at her district director and shot indiscriminately at staffers and others standing in line to talk to the congresswoman, said Mark Kimble, a communications staffer for Giffords.

"He was not more than three or four feet from the congresswoman and the district director," Kimble said, describing the scene as "just complete chaos, people screaming, crying."

One of the victims was Christina-Taylor Green, who was a member of the student council at her local school and went to the event because of her interest in government. She is the grandaughter of former Philadelphia Phillies manager Dallas Green.

She was born on 9/11 and 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.

The fact that Christina's life ended in tragedy was especially tragic to those who knew her. "Tragedy seems to have happened again," said the author of the book, Christine Naman. "In the form of this awful event."

Authorities said the dead included U.S. District Judge John M. Roll; Greene; Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman, 30; Dorothy Morris, 76; Dorwin Stoddard, 76; and Phyllis Scheck, 79. Judge Roll had just stopped by to see his friend Giffords after attending Mass.

His office said a man possibly associated with Loughner (pronounced LAWF'-ner) who was near the scene was being sought. Law enforcement released an image of a man photographed by a security camera at the Safeway store. He was described as white with dark hair and 40-45 years old.

FBI Director Robert Mueller said Loughner bought the Glock 9-mm handgun last year.

In one of several YouTube videos, which featured text against a dark background, Loughner described inventing a new U.S. currency and complained about the illiteracy rate among people living in Giffords' congressional district in Arizona.

"I know who's listening: Government Officials, and the People," Loughner wrote. "Nearly all the people, who don't know this accurate information of a new currency, aren't aware of mind control and brainwash methods. If I have my civil rights, then this message wouldn't have happen (sic)."

In Loughner's middle-class neighborhood � about a five-minute drive from the scene � sheriff's deputies had much of the street blocked off. The neighborhood sits just off a bustling Tucson street and is lined with desert landscaping and palm trees.

Neighbors said Loughner lived with his parents and kept to himself. He was often seen walking his dog, almost always wearing a hooded sweat shirt and listening to his iPod.

The assassination attempt left Americans questioning whether divisive politics had pushed the suspect over the edge.

Giffords faced frequent backlash from the right over her support of the health care reform last year, and had her office vandalized the day the House approved the landmark measure.

When asked if Loughner had any contact with Giffords in the past, Mueller said the alleged gunman attended a similar event three years ago.

Dupnik lashed out at what he called an excessively "vitriolic" atmosphere in the months leading up to the rampage as he described the chaos of the day.

The sheriff said the rampage ended only after two people tackled the gunman. A third person intervened and tried to pull a clip away from Loughner as he attempted to reload, the sheriff said.

"He was definitely on a mission," according to event volunteer Alex Villec, former Giffords intern.

Giffords expressed similar concern about the political atmosphere, even before the shooting. In an interview after her office was vandalized, she referred to the animosity against her by conservatives, including Sarah Palin's decision to list Giffords' seat as one of the top "targets" in the midterm elections.

"For example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list, but the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action," Giffords said in an interview with MSNBC.

In the hours after the shooting, Palin issued a statement in which she expressed her "sincere condolences" to the family of Giffords and the other victims.

A shaken President Barack Obama called the attack "a tragedy for our entire country."

Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement Sunday that FBI Director Robert Mueller was traveling to Arizona to help coordinate the investigation.

In a brief statement Sunday morning, House Speaker John Boehner said flags on the House side of the Capitol in Washington will be flown at half staff to honor Giffords' slain aide, Gabe Zimmerman. Boehner says normal House business this week is postponed to focus on any necessary actions in the shooting aftermath.

___

Associated Press Writers Jacques Billeaud, Raquel Maria Dillon and Terry Tang contributed to this report.

That is simply bone-chilling.

Thank God for the home of the brave:

The sheriff said the rampage ended only after two people tackled the gunman. A third person intervened and tried to pull a clip away from Loughner as he attempted to reload, the sheriff said.

Put elsewhere, but lost there:

The deceased, from a lunatic's actions - a federal judge who happened to stop by at the wrong time, a 9-year-old child, born on 9/11, a man who'd recently become engaged, a husband shielding his wife...

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/09/arizona-shooting-latest-developments/?hpt=T2

In addition to the 12 people wounded in the shooting, the following six were killed:

� John Roll, 63. A native of Pennsylvania, Roll was a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona who had served the legal system for nearly 40 years. He began his career as a bailiff in Pima County Superior Court and rose to be chief judge for the District of Arizona, a position he held since 2006.

He received death threats two years ago after he ruled that a $32 million civil-rights lawsuit filed by illegal immigrants against a rancher in the state could proceed. He had been assigned to hear the ethnic studies ban case out of Tucson that involves a new law banning certain ethnic studies programs in public schools, according to the lead attorney on the case, Richard Martinez. Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts called Roll's death a tragic loss.

� Christina Taylor Greene, 9. She was born on September 11, 2001, according to CNN affiliate KVOA. Family members described her as "excited" about the political process, and said the desire to learn more about it had motivated her to go to the Gifford event, the affiliate said. Christina had just been elected to the student council at her school, the Arizona Republic reported. She died at a hospital, and not at the scene like the other five.

� Gabe Zimmerman, 30. A Tucson native who was engaged to be married, Zimmerman was the director of community outreach for the congresswoman.

� Dorwin Stoddard, 76. Dory, as his family calls him, was a retired construction worker, said Pastor Mike Nowak at Mount Avenue Church of Christ in Tucson. Witnesses told CNN that Stoddard tried to shield his wife, Mavy, was shot in the head and fell on her. The wife was shot three times in her legs; the bullets were removed and she is expected to make a full recovery.

� Dorothy Morris, 76

� Phyllis Scheck, 79

With acknowledgment that my observations are just impressions from a distance based on information from the current news:

The Pima County sheriff sounds like an idiot. He is past the age when he should retire gracefully, and this coming from another 70+ y/o. He continues to rant in a manner that reflects contempt for both the First and Second amendments, which is inexcusable in any public official, let alone senior law enforcement.

In contrast to the cautious public statements from the team of doctors, learned men schooled in science where speculation is frowned upon, Sheriff Dumass offers wild speculative amateurish theories of causes and effects of behavior.

Probably a topic for another thread, but this makes a good case for well educated people in law enforcement, particularly at the senior levels. I'm sure there are plenty of people who think the sheriff is just chock full of "good ol' common sense". Check out the Huffpo for their take on this guy. They are all humping the sheriff's leg. Truly educated people are aware of the limitations of their knowledge, and are cautious in their conclusions.

Rant mode off.

Paul

I'm almost reticent to put this up,....but hey, it IS part of the big picture,....sad

GTC

Daily Kos publisher blames Palin for Giffords shooting

Link: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...re-battle-over-motive-political-rhetoric

Shooting sparks left-right blog battle over motive, rhetoric
By Shane D'Aprile - 01/09/11 12:29 PM ET

Reaction on the blogosphere was swift Saturday to the mass shooting in Arizona that killed at least six and critically wounded Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. But expressions of shock and sympathy for the victims of the shooting quickly gave way to a left-right battle over what may have motivated the gunman.

Several liberal bloggers pointed to the Tea Party and the heated rhetoric that characterized much of the 2010 campaign season, with many on the left turning the focus to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The liberal blog Daily Kos highlighted the "target list" posted on the website of Palin's political action committee and the former governor's Facebook page. It was a list of 20 House districts carried by the McCain-Palin ticket in 2008 that were represented by Democratic lawmakers who had voted in favor of healthcare.

Over each of the targeted districts, including that of Giffords, was the crosshairs of gun sights.

Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas tweeted this early Saturday: "Mission accomplished, Sarah Palin." The tweet included a link to Palin's target map.

Kos also recycled a clip of Giffords reacting to the map on MSNBC, where she warned Palin of potential consequences to such visuals.

"The way that she has it depicted, has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district," Giffords said. "When people do that, they've got to realize there are consequences to that action."

Conservative Andrew Breitbart responded on his own website and on Twitter Saturday, tweeting this warning: "For the love of God, @markos. Stop it. Don't go there, trust me. Trust me. Trust me. You will not like the blow-back, I assure you."

Moulitsas, who is also a contributor to The Hill, re-tweeted the message, accompanied by an "LOL."

Breitbart later criticized what he termed wild speculation on the potential political motivations of the alleged shooter on his website BigJournalism.com.

"If it is a lone gunman on the left, we will be at the forefront of policing those on the right who would try to seize upon this tragedy for political purposes," he wrote. "This is a sincere plea to those with whom we wage battle on a daily basis in a robust democracy with an appreciation for the First Amendment, but this is also a plea to our political way of thinking who would like to claim victory from a national tragedy."

Liberal commentators joined in the fray, for the most part focusing on Palin. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann called on Palin to repudiate her part in "amplifying violence and violent imagery in politics."

Just hours after the shooting, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik sounded off at a news conference, pinning blame for the tragedy squarely on "the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government." Dupnik proclaimed, "the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous."

"This may be free speech," he said. "But it's not without consequences."

RELATED ARTICLES

* Palin spokeswoman: 'Nothing irresponsible about our graphic'

His comments flew across Twitter and were highlighted by a Daily Kos blogger who praised Dupnik for not being afraid "to point the finger at who is culpable."

On the conservative blog RedState, Erick Erickson accused the left of "using this tragedy to score political points," recalling that when a gunman took hostages in the headquarters of the Discovery Channel last year, "the left immediately accused the man of being a tea party activist. Unfortunately for the left, the man turned out to be an envirowacko leftist."

In another blog posted Sunday, Erickson said, "The shooter is neither left-wing nor right-wing. He is crazy and evil -- a word not used enough."

Erickson concluded: "By the way, as an exit thought, the tea party movement won in November. Winners don't go on shooting sprees."

The blame game and rampant speculation over the possible political motivations of the shooting starting in earnest Saturday and continued on Sunday morning's political shows despite there still being little public information about the 22-year-old held in the shootings.

Jared Lee Loughner's YouTube and other Internet postings don't appear to indicate a coherent political motive or very many coherent political thoughts, for that matter. They include rants on currency and ramblings about Loughner's distrust of the government and public officials.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Sunday that after watching the videos and reading Loughner's writings, he saw evidence of someone suffering from "paranoid schizophrenia."

The Arizona Daily Star spoke to former community college classmates of Loughner who described him as "very disturbed," "Left wing" and someone who was prone to interrupting class discussions frequently with "nonsensical outbursts."

Fox News reported Sunday morning that an internal Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by the network indicated that Loughner, 22, is "possibly linked" to an anti-Semetic, white supremacist group.

The DHS memo called the group American Renaissance "anti-government, anti-immigration, anti -ZOG (Zionist Occupational Government), anti-Semitic."

The information reportedly came as Loughner's computer and personal effects were searched in the shooting investigation.


Giffords, who attends a Reform synagogue in Tucson, is Arizona's first Jewish congresswoman.

While Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.) played down any suggestion that there was a direct connection between rhetoric emanating from either party and the Arizona shooting on "Fox News Sunday," she did note some of the alleged gunman's favorite books as highlighted on his YouTube page -- The Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us/politics/09shooter.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

..."Paul Schwalbach, the spokesman for the Pima Community College, said one video that Mr. Loughner had prepared was considered particularly troubling by campus administrators, motivating them to suspend Mr. Loughner in September.

College �police and other officials viewed it and found it very disturbing,� he said. After he was suspended, Mr. Loughner and his parents met with administrators, who said he would require a mental health clearance if he wanted to return to college. It could not be learned on Saturday whether Mr. Loughner ever saw a psychiatrist or other professional or was diagnosed with a mental illness.

But the rambling, disconnected writings and videos he has left on the Web are consistent with the delusions produced by a psychotic illness like schizophrenia, which develops most often in the teens or 20s."...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110109/ap_on_re_us/us_congresswoman_shot_gun

..."By ALICIA A. CALDWELL, Associated Press Alicia A. Caldwell, Associated Press � Sat Jan 8, 8:55 pm ET
WASHINGTON � A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that the handgun used in a shooting that killed a federal judge and wounded a U.S. congresswoman in Tucson, Ariz., was purchased legally. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head Saturday morning during an event with voters outside a local grocery store. U.S. District Judge John Roll, and at least five others, were killed in the attack.

The official, who has been briefed on the investigation, spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the case. Officials have identified the shooter as 22-year-old Jared Loughner of Tucson. He is in custody. The Washington Post reported late Saturday that Loughner purchased the gun Nov. 30 from the Sportsman's Warehouse in Tucson."...

He's the consummate "Over the Hill" political animal, and long ovedue for a younger , brighter replacement, Paul.

I'm trying to chase down a report about his recent "Hit and Run" which was "Reduced" to leaving the scene of an accident.

Hard news to find ,....how VERY surprising.

GTC

Senator Kyl had an uncomplimentary view of Dupnik's drivle.

Kyl: Too much credit to give shooter 'coherent political philosophy'
By Bridget Johnson - 01/09/11 11:50 AM ET

Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl (R) suggested Sunday that the 22-year-old accused of shooting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was likely too mentally unstable to be operating out of political aims.

On CBS' "Face the Nation," Kyl was asked about the comments of Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who critcized vitriol in his state while giving an update on the case to the press.

"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous," said the sheriff. "And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry."

"I didn't really think that that had any part in a law enforcement briefing last night," Kyl said. "It was speculation."

Kyl said the only thing about Jared Lee Loughner that seems clear is that he is a "very mentally unstable" person.

"It's probably giving him too much credit to ascribe a coherent political philosophy to him," he said. "We just have to acknowledge that there are mentally unstable people in this country. Who knows what motivates them to do what they do? Then they commit terrible crimes like this."

Kyl said that Giffords would be the first one "to say don't rush to judgment here."

"She herself was a proponent of the Second Amendment," the senator said. "She read, as has been pointed out several times, the First Amendment part of the constitution on the floor of the House the other day. She was doing what she likes to do most with her constituents. She meets constituents all the time. And she would not want to be restrained in any way from her ability to do that."

Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said he agreed with the sheriff's comments.

"Far too many broadcasts now and so many outlets have the intent of inciting, and inciting people to opposition, to anger, to thinking the other side is less than moral," he said. "And I think that is a context in which somebody who is mentally unbalanced can somehow feel justified in taking this kind of action."

Hoyer said he had talked to Giffords' husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, who is "very angry, Very angry about the level of angry rhetoric that he believes incites people."

"We're going to have to find out exactly what the motivation here was," Hoyer said, adding that everyone in the public square needed to "fashion our rhetoric so that it does not incite but informs."
Source:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...ve-shooter-coherent-political-philosophy
The contents of this site are � 2011 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.
Comments (13)

[bleep] vultures.

Breaking

"Man sought as 'person of interest' in Giffords shooting case cleared"

Link: is acting like those of last night,....for what it's worth, here....

Link: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/1ecff40c-1c27-11e0-9dc8-001cc4c03286.html

Better .....

Link: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_51bb5006-1bd6-11e0-9fec-001cc4c002e0.html

Authorities clear man called 'person of interest' in Giffords shooting case

* Story

Authorities clear man called 'person of interest' in Giffords shooting case

By Kim Smith, Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, January 9, 2011 2:44 am

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Detectives with the Pima County Sheriff's Department interviewed the "person of interest" in Saturday's mass shooting and cleared him of any wrongdoing.

The man, a cab driver, told detectives he gave Jared Loughner a ride to the Safeway and they entered the store together so Loughner could obtain change to pay his fare, said Bureau Chief Richard Kastigar.

Records substantiate the driver dropped Loughner off at 9:59 a.m., Kastigar said.

The first report of a shooting came in 10:11 a.m. and paramedics were on scene at 10:16 a.m., Kastigar said.

FBI Director Robert Mueller announced this morning he anticipates federal charges will be filed this afternoon against Loughner in the death of U.S. District Judge John Roll and the shootings of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her staff members.

Discussions are underway as to the filing of state charges in regards to the other victims, Mueller said.

Authorities also today released more gripping details of the event that killed six people and wounded 14 others at a Congress on Your Corner event.

Seconds after Loughner emptied the clip of a 9 mm Glock into the crowd at Safeway, one of the women he shot grabbed the magazine in an effort to stop him, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said this morning.

"The woman went up and grabbed the magazine and tore it away from him," Dupnik said.

Loughner was able to insert a second, 31-round magazine, but because the gun malfunctioned and two men tackled him, a "greater catosphere" was averted, Dupnik said.

The names of the three heroes have not yet been released.

Mueller and Dupnik said Loughner attended a 2007 Congress on Your Corner event after exchanging correspondence with Giffords' office and being extended an invitation. Authorities continue to work around the clock to determine why Loughner committed such a "heinous act," Mueller said.

When asked if Dupnik would classify the incident as a hate crime, he said, "You could probably call most murders a hate crime."

Mueller said he was not discounting the possibility of charging Loughner with crimes under domestic terrorism statutes, but said it was "premature to say what the motivations were or to draw generalizations."

A suspicious package found at Giffords' office following the shootings did not contain any explosive materials, but investigators are looking into who sent the package and why, Mueller said. FBI lab analysts will attempt to obtain DNA and fingerprints from the package, he said.

Loughner purchased the Glock from a gun store in November, Mueller said. He was not legally prohibited from purchasing the gun.

Contact reporter Kim Smith at 573-4241 or kimsmithazstarnet.com

Copyright 2011 Arizona Daily Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Oh, Godspeed , little one,.....and may he hold your family and friends in his arms.




Link: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_28c8e686-1ca6-5b3e-ab85-965bd22c68c0.html

CHRISTINA-TAYLOR GREEN

With a birthday on 9/11, she was patriotic, interested in politics


Born, died between 2 tragedies

Stephanie Innes Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, January 9, 2011 12:00 am

Aspiring politician Christina-Taylor Green was born in the midst of tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001, and died Saturday morning while trying to meet Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

The strong-willed 9-year-old third-grader had gone to meet Giffords with a neighbor when she was shot. She died later at University Medical Center.

Her neighbor was shot four times and was recovering from surgery Saturday evening.

Christina-Taylor had just been elected to the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School and had been interested in politics from a young age, her father, John Green, said Saturday night.

"She was a good speaker. I could have easily seen her as a politician," her father said.

The brown-eyed athletic girl had one sibling, an 11-year-old brother named Dallas, and the two loved to go swimming together.

She'd already told her parents she wanted to attend Penn State one day and have a career that involved helping those less fortunate than her.

She also loved animals and was a passionate dancer who loved ballet, hip-hop, jazz and gymnastics and was the only girl on her Canyon del Oro Little League baseball team, "The Pirates." She played second base.

Christina-Taylor came from a family of baseball players. Her grandfather, former major-league pitcher Dallas Green, was team manager for the Philadelphia Phillies when they won the World Series in 1980.

"She kept up with everyone, she was a strong girl, a very good athlete and a strong swimmer," said her mother, Roxanna Green. "She was interested in everything. She got a guitar for Christmas so her next thing was learning to play guitar."

Christina-Taylor also enjoyed singing in a church choir at St. Odilia's Catholic Church, where she had received her first Holy Communion in the spring.

"'Let the children come to me,' Jesus said (Matthew 19:14). Christina is with Him," Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas wrote in a letter to parishioners sent from Jordan, where he is attending a bishops' meeting.

Already aware of inequalities in the world around her, Christina-Taylor often repeated the same phrase to her mother: "We are so blessed. We have the best life."

Her birth date no doubt helped inspire Christina-Taylor's interest in politics, Roxanna Green said. She was one of 50 9/11 babies featured in a book called "Faces of Hope."

"She was born back east and Sept. 11 affected everyone there, and Christina-Taylor was always very aware of it. She was very patriotic and wearing red, white and blue was really special to her," her mother said.

"She was all about helping people, and being involved. It's so tragic. She went to learn today and then someone with so much hatred in their heart took the lives of innocent people."

Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at sinnesazstarnet.com or 573-4134.

Amen.

Dats a picture of a Glock 17!

I don't know anything about em' T., honest.

That's what the Arizona Star's got up.....

GTC