Saturday, January 8, 2011

US Rep Gabrielle Giffords + Six Others Shot Dead

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and six others have died after a gunman opened fire at a public event on Saturday, Pima County sheriff's office in Arizona confirmed to National Public Radio.

A gunman ran up to Giffords, 40, and shot her in the head as she addressed supporters outside a Safeway grocery store, according to media reports.

The gunman was in custody, according to media reports.

Giffords, who was re-elected to her third term in November, was hosting her first "Congress on Your Corner" event at the store in northwest Tucson, NPR reported.

Giffords, 40, a Democrat, is married to U.S. astronaut Mark Kelly. She took office in January 2007, emphasizing issues such as immigration reform, embryonic stem-cell research, alternative energy sources and a higher minimum wage.

Earlier events in Tucson, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Sierra Vista, and Douglas had attracted between at least a crowd of 150, according to a statement announcing the event.

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