Posted by JM Ashby
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot in the head Saturday along with a federal judge and ten to twelve others at a public event at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Six people, including Federal Judge John Roll and a 9-year-old girl, are among those killed. Giffords is currently alive and in critical condition.
You can follow live updates to the situation here.
Update... Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, speaking about Arizona:
"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And, unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.
"It's not unusual for all public officials to get threats constantly, myself included. And that's the sad thing of what's going on in America. Pretty soon, we're not going to be able to find reasonable, decent people who are willing to subject themselves to serve in public office."
He later added:
"Let me just say one thing, because people tend to poo-poo this business about all the vitriole that we hear inflaming the American public by people who make a living off of doing that. That may be free speech. But it's not without consequences."
Bumped