Jared Lee Loughner, the man responsible for the death of six people and the wounding of 14, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), just entered a plea of Ïnot guiltyÓ Monday in Phoenix, Ariz.
On Jan. 8, Loughner began firing his semi-automatic gun in front of a Safeway grocery store parking lot in Tucson, Ariz. A bullet went through Giffords’ head. Fatalities included nine-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, Chief Judge John Roll and Community Outreach Director Gabe Zimmerman.
The plea was the latest in a winding series of events that followed the initial shooting. Since then, there has been a swarm of reactions trying to assess the fault and progress from the shooting.† Sarah Palin, initially blamed for a campaign slogan that placed crosshairs over particular political districts, has retaliated, saying that people are placing a Ïblood libelÓ on her. Others, such as Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), have advocated for a bill eliminating extended magazines for guns, pointing out the fact that Loughner was initially able to shoot 31 bullets (as opposed to the usual ten) before needing to reload. Congressmen Shuler (D-NC) and Chaffetz (R-UT) have encouraged fellow representatives to start carrying guns.
Among those responses was President Barack Obama’s memorial service, in which he called the event an Ïunspeakable tragedy,Ó and celebrated the heroes who limited the shooting to just the initial victims.† He called for a return to a collaborative style of politics and asked for the end of a heated, exclusively partisan debate.
The shooting came at a particularly heated moment of political debate throughout the country.† Vitriolic debate has raged through the country even more intensely throughout the last several months. Conservative radio hosts such as Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh have called for people to revolt, and certain liberal commentators have only fanned the fires.
In the courtroom, Loughner seemed to chuckle and smile occasionally throughout the 15 minute arraignment. Initially charged just with the attempted murder of Giffords and two aides ó Ron Barber and Pamela Simon ó authorities expect the charges to grow as evidence keeps being compiled. The case will continue on March 9 back in Tucson.