John McCarthy Roll, a 63-year-old White male, was a respected federal judge who found himself in the midst of a tragedy on a Saturday morning. On January 8, 2011, he decided to attend a 'Congress on Your Corner' event hosted by U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords at a Safeway supermarket in Casas Adobes, a community near Tucson, Arizona. Having attended Mass earlier that day, his decision to go to the event was a last-minute one, a choice that would place him in the path of unexpected violence.
He had gone to the gathering to continue a conversation with the congresswoman about the heavy caseload in Arizona's federal courts.
As the event was underway, a gunman, later identified as Jared Lee Loughner, opened fire on the crowd. Evidence suggests that Giffords was the primary target of the attack. In the ensuing chaos, Judge Roll was struck by a single gunshot to his back. Surveillance footage revealed that in his final moments, he acted heroically, pushing down and shielding Ron Barber, a Giffords staffer who had also been shot. John McCarthy Roll, along with five other people, succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene.
The shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, was apprehended at the scene after being subdued by bystanders. Federal prosecutors charged him with the murder of Judge Roll, as his death occurred in the course of an attack on a federal official. Investigations indicated that Judge Roll was not a specific target of Loughner's and that the gunman may not have even been aware of who he was. Following his arrest, Loughner was indicted on numerous federal charges, including the murder of Judge Roll. He ultimately pleaded guilty to 19 counts and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
