Obama to Hold Moment of Silence for Shooting Victims

A woman carrying ‘Peace’ and ‘Hope’ signs arrives at a memorial outside the offices of congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, 09 Jan 2011
U.S. President Barack Obama leads the nation in a moment of silence Monday, following a mass shooting in the southwestern United States that killed six people and left a member of Congress critically wounded.
The president and first lady Michelle Obama will observe the moment of silence at the White House, to honor the victims of the Saturday shooting at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona.
The alleged shooter is to appear in a federal court in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday. Twenty-two-year-old Jared Loughner faces one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and two counts of attempting to kill a federal employee.
U.S. House Representative Gabrielle Giffords was meeting with constituents when the attack occurred. She was shot in the head and is in critical condition. A federal judge, one of Giffords' aides, and a nine-year-old girl were among those killed.
The speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, said that House votes scheduled for this week are postponed. Flags at the White House and other public and military buildings are to be flown at half-staff for the week.
Medical authorities on Sunday said they are "cautiously optimistic" about Giffords' recovery.
Dr. Peter Rhee of Arizona's University Medical Center told reporters Giffords is in a medically induced coma as she begins to recover from surgery. He said she has been following simple commands.
Police say a woman waiting in line to meet Giffords grabbed the ammunition clip out of Loughner's hand as he paused to reload the gun. Two other bystanders then tackled the gunman, who was apprehended at the scene.
Doctors said of the 14 people wounded, only Giffords remains in critical condition.
In several videos on the YouTube website, a person who posted under the name Jared Loughner criticizes the government and calls for a new currency. Law enforcement officials say they are investigating the videos.
Last March, Giffords was one of at least 10 House Democrats harassed for their support of the U.S. health care reform legislation. The front door of her office in Tucson was shattered in an act of vandalism.
In November, Giffords was re-elected to a third term in the House of Representatives. She was first elected to Congress in 2006.
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