US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords battled for her life on Sunday after an assailant shot her in the head and killed six others in a rampage that has launched a debate about extreme political rhetoric in America.
The 40-year-old Demo-cratic legislator was in critical condition and doctors were cautiously optimistic she would survive. The suspected gunman was in federal custody as investigators sought a motive in the shooting of a US legislator and looked for a possible accomplice. Saturday’s shooting shocked politicians in Washington, where Congress postponed a vote on health care reform later this week. Following an acrimonious campaign ahead of mid-term congressional elections last November, some commentators were quick to cite a shrill climate of political vitriol might have played a role. “We are in a dark place in this country right now and the atmospheric condition is toxic,” Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver told NBC. The suspected gunman, identified as Jared Lee Loughner, opened fire with a semi-automatic pistol at point-blank range, killing six people including US federal judge John Roll and a 9-year-old girl. —Reuters