LA Times: Gabrielle Giffords: 'Person of interest' sought in Arizona shooting (Update: Has Been Cleared)

UPDATE, 6:51 p.m. cst: Arizona authorities say a second man has been cleared of any involvement in an attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson.

Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Ogan said Sunday that the man was a cab driver who drove the gunman to the grocery store outside of which the shooting occurred.

Ogan says the man went into the store because the gunman apparently hadn’t paid his fare.

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Of all the articles on the net this morning following the shooting, this one seemed to give the most facts without bias or rhetoric.  We noticed that more and more of the Los Angeles Times reporters are doing that today which is refreshing.  Used to be a favorite newspaper when we lived in Southern California in the 80's but then the PC crowd over.  Enjoy seeing them going back to reporting.

This is the latest on the investigation which FBI Director Mueller is now heading:

Gabrielle Giffords: 'Person of interest' sought in Arizona shooting

Pima County sheriff releases a photo of an additional person sought for questioning in the Arizona shooting that killed 6 and wounded 13, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

A TV image shows a man wanted for questioning by police in
relation to the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson.
(Getty Images / January 9, 2011)

By Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times

January 9, 2011, 7:36 a.m.

Arizona authorities early Sunday morning were searching for a "person of interest" in connection with the Arizona shooting that left six dead and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition as the nation tried to come to grips with the attack.

The Pima County sheriff's office released a photo of a man they described as a person of interest who was wanted in connection with Saturday's shooting, which left 13 wounded, including Democratic Rep. Giffords, 40. The unknown person was photographed by a surveillance camera near the shooting suspect, Jared Lee Loughner, 22.

The person appears to be white with dark hair and about 40 years old.

"We want to know if the person of interest is associated with" the suspect, Pima County Deputy Jason Ogan said in a telephone interview. "We released the photo to see if anyone knows him."

The suspect was in federal custody Sunday, Ogan said. On the orders of President Obama, FBI Director Robert Mueller traveled to Arizona to head the investigation.

Loughner was apprehended by people in the crowd after the midmorning shooting at a Tucson supermarket. Witnesses described how he sprayed the area with bullets, killing among others, Arizona's chief federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, who was later identified as the daughter of a Dodgers scout.

Officials wouldn't discuss the motive for the attack, but witnesses said it appeared focused.

"I feel like he knew what he came there to do and he done it," Joe Zamudio said Sunday morning on MSNBC.

Authorities identified the dead as U.S. District Judge John Roll, 63; Christina Taylor Green, 9; Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman, 30; Dorothy Morris, 76; Dorwin Stoddard, 76; and Phyllis Scheck, 79. Roll had just stopped by to see his friend Giffords after attending Mass.

But officials said they believed that Giffords, who had been sworn in for her third term with the rest of the 112th Congress last week, was the primary target. At 40, Giffords was considered a moderate Democrat who favored immigration reform and who had been the subject of at least two "unfortunate incidents" during the recent campaign for reelection. Giffords defeated "tea party" candidate Jesse Kelly by just 4,000 votes.

In a typically heated congressional campaign in the recent, hyper-partisan midterm elections, Kelly blamed Giffords for supporting President Obama's healthcare overhaul and for her more liberal views on immigration reform, a sore subject in Arizona, a border state whose efforts to halt illegal immigration have drawn condemnation from liberals and the federal government.

On Saturday, Giffords was shot in the head while meeting constituents. She was taken to University Medical Center, where spokeswoman Darcy Slaten said the congresswoman was in critical condition Sunday morning after undergoing two hours of surgery. Hospital officials said they were guardedly optimistic

Slaten said nine other wounded were being treated at the hospital, four of them in critical condition and five serious. Three of the wounded had been treated and released.

While authorities sorted out the details of the shooting, the political world continued to reel as the attack raised fears of a new level of partisan animosity.

In a televised statement from a government building near his home of West Chester, Ohio, House Speaker John Boehner asked that flags at the Capitol be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims. He again condemned violence.

"An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve," Boehner said. "Such acts of violence have no place in our society."

Boehner said the House will postpone its scheduled business this week to deal with any needed actions in the wake of the shootings, including if additional security measures were needed.

The House had been scheduled to vote on a repeal of the Obama healthcare program Wednesday. The action was largely symbolic, fulfilling a GOP pledge in the election campaign. But any repeal was expected to fail in the Senate and would face a veto from Obama.

In his comments, Boehner also stressed that the shootings should not stop lawmakers from fulfilling their responsibilities.

"This inhuman act should not, and will not, deter us from our calling to represent our constituents and to fulfill our oaths of office," Boehner said. "No act, no matter how heinous, must be allowed to stop us from our duties."

Boehner's comments echoed those by Obama right after the attack.

Praising Giffords as an extraordinary public servant, the president also condemned the shooting.

"We do not yet have all the answers," Obama said Saturday. "What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society.

michael.muskal@latimes.com

twitter.com/LATimesmuskal

Governor Brewer on the shooting in Tuscon of Congressman Giffords

Currently the authorities are looking for a second person of interest in this shooting.

This is a sad day for Arizona and for the United States when a Member of Congress holds a Meet and Greet in her own Congressional District and gets shot. Latest word has her as the target of the shooter. What kind of sick person would do such a thing is on people's minds. Tonight she is out of surgery and responding to doctors but by all accounts she has a long road to recovery.

The shooter seems to be what we would call a nutcase who believes in conspiracies -- type of person who political rhetoric that is ignored by most of us would take it as reality. From the accounts we read tonight he appears to have a troubled past and unable to function normally. In fact, he is one scary person by all accounts who was filled with anger. No one in the local Tuscon Tea Party has any record of him being involved. With his book lists, don't think he would fit in with conservatives at all -- more likely with skinheads. Mein Kamp and the Communist Manifesto on his list are not books you would see conservatives or moderates reading.

Too many people were too quick to jump to assign blame when this person obviously is an angry, bitter person whose video's and facebook make little sense. After shooting the Congresswoman, he shot at random killing six people.

A Federal Judge was shot and killed because he happened to be stopping by after mass to say hello to the Congresswoman.

Gifford's aide was shot and killed because he was there to help out with the Meet and Greet.

A nine-year old girl who had been elected to her student council was killed when she was taken to the Meet and Greet to meet the Congresswoman. The authorities have not released the names of the other victims.

The office of Congresswoman Giffords had been targeted earlier and damaged after she voted for the healthcare bill. She was a supporter of the 2nd amendment rights, member of the Blue Dogs, and by all accounts someone who served her district well and got along with the people she came in contact with.

Remember when Republican Eric Cantor's office was a target for vandalism and the death threats made against him.

It has to stop with the rhetoric that has gotten so far out of hand. Members of Congress of both parties are shouted down at Town Hall meetings now and not allowed to speak at their own Town Halls. No matter how much someone dislikes their member of Congress, they were still elected and have a right to speak at their Town Hall. Now security has to be tightened for members of Congress in case there are copy cats out there.

Having personally handled Meet and Greets, never considered that something like this might happen. Some Republicans had as much trouble at their Town Halls as Democrats and they didn't vote for healthcare. Somehow all the rhetoric has tapped into some unstable people. Did not attend Town Halls after getting the word it wasn't a good idea because they didn't know what might happen. We live in a heavy Republican District. Remember at our State Convention how angry some people got the other year -- thought they were going to have a heart attack.

The threats toward a member of Congress doesn't do what a group says, "they" are coming after them and will destroy them has bothered us from day one. The anger has been way over the top. Sane people know it is campaign rhetoric but what about the mentally unstable? The 'sky is falling' rhetoric has to end from both sides. People involved in politics from all sides have to realize that something that may seem harmless to them could trigger off some unstable people.

Senator Marco Rubio was the perfect example of what ads should be about -- very positive and even when going after his opponent, he kept a sense of humor. His best ad in my mind was the one on American Exceptionlism. Brought tears to my eyes because in all the rhetoric flying around about how bad things were, here was now Senator Rubio with his positive ad about America.

People who can never find anything good to say and are continually angry at elected officials need to find help. That is not normal to get that upset about what someone does who is part of the Government. We have had Administrations I couldn't stand and others I really liked but in the end our Government has continued to be strong. Back in 2009 some people were saying we wouldn't have elections in 2010, but we did and they went off very well. In fact, got in several arguments about it but decided it was not worth my time and quit a website because of all the nasty rhetoric.

That led us to starting the two blogs out of frustration at the lap dog mainstream media, the ramming of legislation through Congress without following the rules, and wanting to win the House back and make inroads in the Senate which happened. We like to add a little bit of humor on here to keep things in perspective. We are the glass half full types which we know drives the glass empty types nuts but that is how we approach things.

Can remember the days in the Senate when both sides would fight like cats and dogs on the floor of the Senate and go out to dinner that night. We need more of that and by all accounts Congresswoman Giffords from listening to Governor Brewer talk about her was like that.

It is a sad day for America but if we can get back to the days where you have reasoned debate in Congress and can agree to disagree then just maybe the people who have died will leave a legacy of spirited but reasoned debate among all of us including on Capitol Hill when we stop to realize we live in a wonderful Country filled with people who have the ability to recover from tragedy and become stronger.

America and Arizona's best days are ahead as we believe in that Reagan optimism that we as a people can right the ship and all of us working together can make this a better Country. Never give up hope that tomorrow the sun is going to rise in the east and will be a new day filled with hope and promise for the future.

God be with the people involved in this tragedy. Please pray for all of them to give them strength they need.

God Bless!

Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing 'Amazing Grace'