Tucson marks 10th anniversary of Giffords shooting
13 shot in 2011 attack on former U.S. Representative, 6 killed
TUCSON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - It has been ten-years since a gunman opened fire on a community event in Tucson, killing six and injuring 13, including former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords.
A somber ceremony was held Friday morning to to honor those who lost their lives in the attack. Organizers dedicated a memorial and held a special bell ringing at the same time the deadly shots were fired.
On January 8, 2011 a gunman opened fire into a crowd at a meet-and-greet with the Congresswoman. He shot Giffords in the head.
Initial reports of her death proved wrong, and Giffords miraculously survived. It took years of therapy for her to regain her mobility and ability to speak. She continues to endure rehabilitation.
Tucson native Rep. Raúl Grijalva worked closely with Giffords in Congress. He released this statement on the tragic anniversary in the wake of Wednesday's Capitol Hill siege.
“As our nation reels from Wednesday’s attack on democracy in the U.S. Capitol, we must also remember another attack in our own backyard that took the lives of six people and wounded my friend and colleague Rep. Gabby Giffords. It was a heinous attack on representative government fueled by many of the same forces of divisiveness, conspiracy theories, and poison politics that remain entrenched in our political system ten years later. An assassin’s bullet failed to kill the spirit and determination that defines Tucson, just as a mob of insurrectionists failed to overthrow our government this week.
What happened in Tucson should never be repeated, but sustained Republican efforts to obstruct the passage of meaningful public safety legislation have made mass shootings a continual sad reoccurrence in our society. I continue to hold the names of those lost in this tragedy in my mind and heart as I work in Congress to make our communities safe and protect them from the scourge of gun violence.”
- Statement from Rep. Raúl Grijalva, (D-Arizona)
Giffords did not attend Friday's ceremony in person. She was in Washington, D.C. with her husband, newly-elected U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.
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