warning Hi, we've moved to USCANNENBERGMEDIA.COM. Visit us there!

Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

Jared Lee Loughner Indicted In Shooting Of Gabrielle Giffords

Callie Schweitzer |
January 19, 2011 | 9:10 p.m. PST

Editor-in-Chief

A federal grand jury indicted Jared Lee Loughner Wednesday on charges of attempting to kill Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and two of her aides in a shooting spree on Jan. 8 in Tucson, Ariz. 

The shooting left six dead and 13 wounded including Giffords who was shot in the head at point-blank range at the "Congress on Your Corner" event she was hosting at a local Safeway.

“We are in the early stages of this ongoing investigation. We have made considerable progress in a short period of time,” U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke said in a statement.

The three-count indictment cites Loughner's "intent to kill" Giffords, a member of Congress, and two of her aides, Ronald Barber and Pamela Simon, who are federal employees.

"A conviction for the attempted assassination of a member of Congress carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both," according to a media release that detailed the indictments. "A conviction for attempted murder of a federal employee carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both."

The indictment did not list any charges in the killings of the two federal officials, U.S. District Judge John Roll and Giffords staffer Gabriel Zimmerman. But if Loughner is convicted of killing a federal employee, he may be sentenced to death.

Burke stressed the preliminary basis of this indictment, hinting that there's more to come.

“This case also involves potential death-penalty charges, and department rules require us to pursue a deliberate and thorough process," the statement said. "Today’s charges are just the beginning of our legal action, and we are working diligently to ensure that our investigation is thorough and that justice is done for the victims and their families.”

Politico reports, "Justice Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the absence of the Roll and Zimmerman charges from the indictment did not indicate any problem. Instead, they said, the FBI and prosecutors wanted more time to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, especially since those charges could lead to the death penalty."

Many say Loughner's only possible defense is insanity--and indeed, profiles of the 22-year-old paint a deeply troubled person.

News of surveillance tapes from the Tucson Safeway shooting rampage surfaced late Tuesday. The tapes are currently in the custody of the FBI.

The Washington Post reports, "Authorities have analyzed nearly two dozen surveillance videos in the massive investigation of accused Tucson killer Jared Lee Loughner, some of which clearly show a gunman shooting federal Judge John Roll in the back as he and an injured congressional aide try to scramble under a table."

In the meantime, Giffords has made remarkable progress and is expected to be moved to a rehabilitation center in Houston on Friday.

The Arizona representative has been responding to commands and gave her husband a neck rub. Reports Wednesday night said Giffords was able to stand with the assistance of others and lift her head.

Loughner is currently being held without bail in Phoenix, Ariz. His next scheduled court appearance is slated for Jan. 24.



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.