Jan 9, 6:55 p.m.
Authorities on Sunday charged a 22-year-old man described as a pot-smoking loner with trying to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing others at a political event, revealing that he had scrawled on an envelope the words "my assassination" and "Giffords."
The discoveries at his home in southern Arizona, however, provided few answers to a shocked nation, from the victims of Saturday's shooting rampage to lawmakers worried about their safety: What motivated the rampage outside a supermarket that killed six and injured 14?
Giffords, 40, lay in intensive care at a Tucson hospital, after being shot in the head at close range. Doctors said she had responded repeatedly to commands to stick out her two fingers, giving them hope she may survive.
Court papers filed with the charges against Jared Loughner said he had previous contact with the Democratic lawmaker. The documents said he had received a letter from Giffords in which she thanked him for attending a "Congress on your Corner" event at a mall in Tucson in 2007.
Investigators carrying out a search warrant at his parents' home in a middle-class neighborhood found an envelope in a safe with the words "I planned ahead," "My assassination" and the name "Giffords" next to what appears to be Loughner's signature. Full story
NPR's news blog, The Two Way, is posting updates as developments come in.
More on the web:
- Google News Search: Gabrielle Giffords | Twitter
- Arizona Republic coverage
- Raw Video of the Aftermath of the Shooting (AP via Yahoo! News)
- Arizona Daily Star live chat
- Judgepedia: John Roll - killed Saturday
- Rep. Giffords' official web site
- NASA astronaut profile: Mark Kelly - Giffords' husband
- March, 2010 video of Giffords discussing threats against her (MSNBC)
- Former Pelosi aide Michael Yaki on the dangers of holding political office (SF Chronicle City Brights blog)