United States: an MP between life and death after a shootout - LeMonde.fr

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United States: an MP between life and death after a shootout

LEMONDE.FR with AFP and Reuters | 08.01.11 | 8:28 p.m. • Updated 09.01.11 | 1:32 p.m.

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A photo of Gabrielle Giffords filed through the streets of Tucson, on the night of Saturday, January 8. AFP / JOHN MOORE

Gabrielle Giffords, a U.S. Congressman was in critical condition Sunday, January 9, after being the target of a man who opened fire during a political rally in Arizona on Saturday. M ^me Giffords has been hit by a bullet in the head while she was talking to his constituents in the parking lot of a supermarket in Tucson.

A young 22 year old man fired a dozen times with a semi-automatic weapon, hitting several other elected and people on the ground. The shooting left six dead, including Christina Green , a girl of 9 years, and John M. Roll, a federal judge who was 63. Thirteen people were injured, many of whom are in serious condition.
On Saturday, several media, citing the sheriff's office had announced that M ^me Giffords, Democrat elected in Arizona since 2007, was dead. Medical authorities subsequently denied this, saying she was undergoing surgery at Tucson's University Medical Center. The doctors who operated expressed cautiously optimistic about his chances of survival, according to a relative of the one. "This is a very devastating impact injury" have told the doctors.
SHOOTER "THE TROUBLED PAST"
The gunman, who was arrested as he tried to flee, was identified as Jared Lee Loughner. According to local authorities, he was known to police. Clarence Dupnik, sheriff of Pima County, has described him as "troubled past" .
Accounts assigned to the killer were found on several social networks including Facebook and YouTube. Loughner denounces government and religion, calls for the creation of a new currency and regrets that the administration controls the grammar. He cites jumble writer Ayn Rand , Adolf Hitler or the Communist Manifesto. The FBI is investigating whether it is the same person as the shooter.
POSSIBLE ACCOMPLICE
Loughner is currently held in Tucson and silent, refusing to cooperate during interrogation. U.S. President Barack Obama , who called the shooting "unspeakable tragedy" and "senseless act" , has deployed the FBI Director Robert Mueller . Local authorities are currently looking for an accomplice. According to the sheriff Dupnik, "there are reasons to believe that [the gunman] came there with another individual " . A picture of a surveillance camera showing a man in his fifties was aired in the press U.S..

Greg Segalini carries a photo of his niece, Christina Green, the 9 year old girl who died during the shooting. AP / Mark Henle

Gabrielle Giffords had joined the Congress in January 2007. She was one of ten elected Democrats harassed because of their support for the reform of American health care system championed by the Democratic administration. First consequence of the shooting, the U.S. lawmakers agreed to postpone a vote to repeal the reform, due next week.

To our readers

On Saturday, several media and news agencies, citing the sheriff's office had announced that Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat elected in Arizona since 2007, was dead. Based on his information, LeMonde.fr sent a warning to his readers to relay information. This was denied later.

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United States: an MP between life and death after a shootout - LeMonde.fr