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Arizona congresswoman 'doing well'
Democrat Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot by armed man, responding well to treatment and following simple commands.
Last Modified: 09 Jan 2011 18:35 GMT
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Giffords, who is married to Mark Kelly, a NASA astronaut, represents Arizona's eighth congressional district [AFP] US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is said to be responding well to treatment after an assailant shot her in the head and killed six others in a rampage in Tucson, Arizona.The 40-year-old Democrat was "able to communicate" by following simple commands, but had not yet spoken, one of her trauma surgeons said on Sunday.
Noting that the bullet did not cross through the centre of Giffords' brain, Michael Lemole, chief of neurosurgery at University Medical Centre, said: "[She] is able to communicate with us this morning through following simple commands.
"We're very encouraged by that. We are still in critical condition. Brain swelling at any time can take a turn for the worse. But I am cautiously optimistic."
The suspected assailant was in federal custody as investigators sought a motive in the shooting and looked for a possible accomplice.
Saturday's shooting of Giffords, who represents Arizona's eighth congressional district in the House, has shocked politicians in Washington, where congress postponed a vote on healthcare reform later this week.
'Dark place'
Following an acrimonious campaign in the run-up to last November's midterm congressional elections, some commentators were quick to cite a shrill climate of political vitriol might have played a role in the shooting.
"We are in a dark place in this country right now and the atmospheric condition is toxic," Democratic representative Emanuel Cleaver told NBC's Meet the Press.
The suspected attacker, identified locally as Jared Lee Loughner, 22, opened fire with a semi-automatic pistol at point-blank range outside a supermarket.
The New York Times reported that six people, including a US federal judge and a nine-year-old girl, were killed in the attack, with Giffords and 13 others wounded.
Arizona police have released a photo of a man sought for questioning who was seen at the shopping centre where the attack occurred and may be associated with the suspect.
He is white and thought to be 40 to 50 years old.
Police seeking a motive for the shooting spree were looking at a trail of anti-government messages on the internet left either by Loughner or someone writing under that name.
There was no coherent theme to the messages.
John Boehner, the US House of Representatives speaker, ordered flags at the US Capitol in Washington lowered to half staff in memory of the victims.
'Inhuman act'
Boehner said the incident was a reminder that public service comes with a risk.
"This inhuman act should not and will not deter us from our calling to represent our constituents and fulfill our oaths of office. No act, no matter how heinous, must be allowed to stop us from our duty," Boehner said.
In Tucson, Clarence Dupnik, the Pima County sheriff, said the suspect "has kind of a troubled past and we're not convinced that he acted alone".
He said he believed Giffords was the intended target of the shooting.
Dupnik said the suspect had made threats to kill in the past but not against Giffords.
Barack Obama, the US president, has put Robert Mueller, the FBI director, in charge of the investigation, with a team heading to the scene of the murders.
Source:
Agencies
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Topics in this article People
- Gabrielle Giffords
- Clarence Dupnik
- John Boehner
- Jared Lee Loughner
- Barack Obama
- Mark Kelly
- Emanuel Cleaver
- Robert Mueller
Country
City
Organisation
- Arizona police
- Tucson hospital
- Congress
- US house of representatives
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
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