U.S. congresswoman fighting for life after shooting

Lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords, a member of President Barack Obama’s Democratic Party, was meeting constituents in Arizona when the assailant started shooting. Gliffords was shot in the head.

Despite initial reports informed that she had died local television networks said she was awake in her hospital bed late Saturday and also recognised her husband.

A Gliffords family friend and a former US surgeon general said that “with guarded optimism I hope that she will survive, but this is a very devastating wound.”

The six killed included a 9-year-old girl and a veteran federal judge. 12 others were wounded.

Bystanders managed to tackle down the gunman, a 22-year-old from Arizona. According to various reports, Jared Lee Loughner had filled the Internet with angry condemnations of the government. The army said he tried to enlist but was rejected.

America’s President Barack Obama condemned the attack as “a tragedy for our entire country”, adding “such a senseless and terrible act of violence has not place in a free society.”

Tucson’s sheriff, Clarence Dupnik, believes the assailant was not alone.

“There’s some reason to believe that he came to this location with another individual. He has kind of a troubled past and we’re not convinced he acted alone,” Dupnik said.