President Obama issues signing statement calling new law banning the transfer of Gitmo detainees “a dangerous and unprecedented challenge to critical executive branch authority.”
Initial reports are sketchy. But we have multiple reports that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) has been shot at a “Congress on Your Corner” event in Tucson this morning. There is no clear reporting on her current condition, though local NPR reports that she was transported to University Medical Center in Tucson.
Update — 1:35 PM: The Tucson Citizen reports that Giffords was shot at “point blank range in the head.” They appear to be the only news outlet reporting this detail. So given the chaos that often surrounds such events, I would treat it as an unconfirmed report until we hear more definitive information.
Update — 1:48 PM: Rep. Giffords was one of the Reps who had their offices vandalized during the heat of the Health Care Reform debate.
(Update: 2:44 PM — Late reports say that Giffords is still alive and in surgery at University Medical Hospital in Tucson.)
We now have apparently confirmed reports that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot and killed this morning by an as-yet-unidentified assassin at a “Congress on Your Corner” event outside a grocery store in her district in Tucson, Arizona. She was reportedly shot in the head at point blank range. There were at least three other and possibly as many as six other killed in the shooting.
Giffords, 40, had just been elected to her third term representing Arizona’s 3rd Congressional district.
Despite apparent confirmation of the death of Rep. Giffords, there are now conflicting reports about her condition. A few moments ago, local channel KOLD reported that the hospital has announced that Giffords is not dead but rather still in surgery at the hospital. A hospital spokesman, Darci Slater, confirmed that Giffords is in fact still alive.
Late Update: As first we listed these new developments as ‘conflicting reports’ about Giffords’ condition. But we are now hearing clearly and unambiguously from the hospital that Giffords is alive and in surgery. We also have reports that the hospital has specifically asked the national media to retract reports of Giffords’ death.
University Medical Center in Tucson is confirming that, contrary to earlier published reports, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) is alive and in surgery at the hospital.
Late Update: 2:53 PM — The hospital is reportedly going to release a statement on Giffords in 30 minutes. We also have a report that a news conference will be held at 1:30 PM local time (3:30 PM EDT).
Late Update: 2:56 PM — Local police reportedly have a 21 year old man in custody as the suspected shooter.
Late Update: 2:59 PM — Speaker Boehner releases statement, “horrified by the senseless attack.”
We have confirmed with a federal law enforcement official that a federal judge was among those shot at the shooting this morning in Tucson.
Arizona has been ground zero for the guns and threats agitation from the right over the last two years. And as an example of the atmosphere in the state of late, back this summer her Tea Party opponent Jesse Kelly held a “Target for Victory” fundraiser in which contributors could help “remove” Giffords from office by “shoot[ing] a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly.
Federal Judge John Roll was shot and killed in this morning’s attack in Tucson. He had earlier been under protective custody because of threats tied to case tied to the illegal immigration issue in the state.
The lead trauma surgeon at University Medical Center is currently holding a press conference. He says that Rep. Giffords is alive. She has come out of surgery. And the surgeon says that he is “very optimistic about [her] recovery.” He later said: “I’m about as optimistic as I can be in this situation”
He confirmed that Giffords was shot through the head, with the bullet exiting her head on the side opposite to the entry wound.