Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head Saturday and an unknown number of others were wounded when an assailant opened fire in an area where the lawmaker was meeting with constituents, officials said.
There were varying accounts on Giffords' condition, but a hospital spokesman said the Democrat was in critical condition. An aide to the Democrat was killed. An unknown number of others was injured, officials officials said, including additional aides to the lawmaker.
Congressional officials said one of the victims died soon after the attack, and others were taken to a nearby hospital. The officials said the wounded included some of Gifford's aides who were with her at the time.
Gabrielle Giffords was born on June 8, 1970. She served in the Arizona Senate from 2003 to 2005 and in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2001 to 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She is said to be in "critical" condition and in surgery. Giffords is an avid reader and was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition on July 9, 2006. She discussed books she was currently reading, including First Man, a biography of astronaut Neil Armstrong and The Heartless Stone a book by Tom Zoellner about the intricacies of the diamond industry across several continents. Congresswoman Giffords was periodically interviewed together with Illinois Republican Peter Roskam on NPR's All Things Considered. The series focused on their experiences as freshman members of the 110th Congress. Source: Gabrielle Giffords Shot.