Jared Loughner and the 2011 Tucson Massacre
Background
Jared Lee Loughner was a 22-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona, when he carried out a mass shooting and attempted assassination on January 8, 2011. The attack occurred during a public constituent meeting hosted by United States Representative Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords outside a Safeway supermarket in Casas Adobes, an unincorporated community northwest of Tucson.
Loughner had previously attended Pima Community College, where students and employees reported increasingly disruptive, confrontational and erratic behavior. College officials suspended him on September 29, 2010, following a series of incidents. He was informed that he could not return without obtaining a mental-health evaluation and clearance showing that he was not a danger to himself or others. Instead of completing those requirements, he withdrew from the college in October 2010.
Loughner had encountered Giffords at an earlier "Congress on Your Corner" event in August 2007. Investigators later found indications that he had developed a fixation on the congresswoman. Among the materials recovered from his family home was an envelope containing a letter from Giffords's office and handwritten statements that included references to planning, assassination and Giffords. Although his writings contained anti-government themes and confused political ideas, authorities did not identify a single coherent ideology that fully explained the attack.
Preparation for the Attack
On November 30, 2010, Loughner purchased a Glock 19 semiautomatic pistol from a sporting-goods store in Tucson. The weapon fired 9-millimeter ammunition. He also obtained extended magazines capable of holding substantially more ammunition than a standard pistol magazine.
During the early morning of January 8, 2011, Loughner left a farewell message for a friend and posted a goodbye statement online. Later that morning, he attempted to purchase ammunition at one Walmart store but was refused service because an employee was concerned about his appearance and behavior. He then traveled to another Walmart and successfully bought ammunition.
At approximately 7:34 a.m., an Arizona Game and Fish Department officer stopped Loughner after he ran a red light. After determining that there were no outstanding warrants for his arrest, the officer released him with a warning. Loughner later took a taxi to the La Toscana Village shopping center, where Giffords was scheduled to meet members of the public.
The Congress on Your Corner Event
Giffords was holding the first "Congress on Your Corner" gathering of the year outside the Safeway at 7110 North Oracle Road. The event allowed constituents to speak directly with their representative about government services, legislation and community concerns. Giffords stood beside a table near the store entrance while members of her staff helped organize a line of visitors.
Approximately 20 to 30 people were gathered around the congresswoman. Those present included senior citizens, political staff members, local residents, a federal judge and nine-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, who had been brought to the event by her neighbor because of the child's interest in government and public service.
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