PHOENIX (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords returned to the House floor Thursday on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that cut short her promising political career and shocked a nation now witnessing an increase in political violence.
Holding hands with her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, Giffords was honored as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised her congressional service and her relentless advocacy for tougher gun control measures. She received a standing ovation from a few dozen lawmakers in the chamber, most of them fellow Democrats.
“House Democrats stand with Gabby and with all Americans who say ‘enough is enough,’” Jeffries said. He also pledged that Democrats would prioritize gun control legislation if they win the House majority in November’s midterm elections.
Giffords was shot in the head on January 8, 2011, while meeting with constituents at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to Giffords, six people were killed and 12 others injured. The shooting left her with limited motion on one side of her body and aphasia, a verbal disability.
No coherent motive has been established for the shooter, Jared Loughner, who suffered from schizophrenia and posted various disjointed, nonsensical conspiracy theories online. He was sentenced to life in prison after being forcibly medicated to make him competent to stand trial.
The targeting of a political event foreshadowed a rising tide of violence that has since overshadowed American democracy. Incidents have included the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021; two attempts on former President Donald Trump’s life; and the killing last June of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband. More recently, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking to college students.
Following the shooting, Giffords left Congress to focus on her recovery, ending a political career that many in Arizona believe would have included runs for governor or U.S. Senate. She went on to create, alongside Kelly, a political group—now known as GIFFORDS—that lobbies for stronger gun laws and works to elect state and federal lawmakers who support such measures.
Sen. Mark Kelly was elected to the Senate in 2020 and was a finalist to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
https://ktar.com/ap-new/former-rep-gabby-giffords-returns-to-house-floor-on-15th-anniversary-of-shooting/5803423/
