Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the Democrat from Arizona, was shot at close range in the head while hosting a meet-and-greet event at a Safeway in Tucson, which drew a crowd of a few dozen. There were about a dozen others injured; the suspected gunman Jared Loughner first shot Giffords and then began firing indiscriminately, killing a young nine-year-old child, federal judge John Roll, and at least three others.

A member of Giffords’ staff tackled and detained the gunman until the sheriff arrived some 20 minutes later, though there were authorities near the scene.

The congresswoman, who was moving after the shooting, has been rushed to the hospital. The motivation behind the attack is unclear.

Remember when Sarah Palin advised supporters to put Giffords in their “crosshairs” over Obama’s health care overhaul? Back in March, when Giffords’ congressional office was vandalized, she specifically mentioned the ex-governor for her awful sharpshooting imagery.

[photo via]

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