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Subscribe to RSSThe gunman who killed six people and tried to assassinated U.S. congresswoman Gabby Giffords showed no emotion in court as a judge sentenced him to life in prison. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The man who pleaded guilty to a deadly Arizona shooting rampage that wounded former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has been sentenced to life in prison.
Ross D. Franklin / AP
Former Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, left, and her husband, Mark Kelly, leave U.S. District Court in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, Nov. 8, after the sentencing of Jared Loughner.
U.S. District Judge Larry Burns sentenced 24-year-old Jared Lee Loughner on Thursday for the January 2011 attack that left six people dead and Giffords and others wounded.
Loughner pleaded guilty to federal charges under an agreement that guarantees he will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. He received seven life terms, one for each death and one for the attempt on Giffords' life, plus 140 years.
Giffords hugged her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, after the sentencing was handed down.
Loughner showed little response to the sentence.
The hearing marked the first time victims -- including Giffords -- could confront Loughner in court. Her husband spoke on her behalf, saying Loughner changed his wife's life forever but couldn't dent her spirit.
At the courtroom podium, Giffords held Kelly’s hand silently and stared directly at Loughner as Kelly addressed him in a stern tone, NBC News reported.
"That bright and chilly morning you killed six innocent people," Kelly said. "Gabby would trade her own life to save any of those you savagely murdered that day."
Kelly then named the six victims and talked a little about each. Afterward he said:
"Then there's Gabby... Now she struggles to deliver each and every sentence ... Gabby struggles to walk. Her right arm is paralyzed. She is partially blind."
"Mr. Loughner, by making death and producing tragedy ... you tried to extinguish life ... But know this and remember always -- you failed. You may have put a bullet through her head, but you haven't put a dent in her spirit and commitment ... " ...
"You have decades upon decades to contemplate what you did. But after today. After this moment. Here and now. Gabby and I are done thinking about you.
Kelly also lambasted elected officials for their positions on gun control, naming Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer as one of many "feckless" state elected leaders who "look at gun violence,not as a problem to solve, but as the white elephant in the room to ignore."
Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson declined comment on the criticism leveled against the governor.
"This is a day of justice and peace," he said.
Read Mark Kelly's complete testimony as prepared for delivery
Loughner, asked at the outset of the hearing by Burns if he had chosen to waive his right to make a statement, answered in a low voice, "That's true."
He was otherwise silent as he sat next to his lawyer, Judy Clarke.
Clarke put her hand on Loughner's arm after Kelly spoke, a contrast to last year when the defendant spat on his lawyer from his jail cell, NBC News reported.
Other survivors also addressed Loughner.
"You forgot to shoot yourself," Mavanell Stoddard, whose husband died shielding her from bullets, told Loughner, according to a reporter from The Arizona Republic.
Suzi Hileman, who was shot three times while trying to save her 9-year-old neighbor, told Loughner she would think of him as dead. "You turned a civics lesson into a nightmare."
The 24-year-old Loughner pleaded guilty three months ago to 19 federal charges under a plea agreement.
Both sides reached the deal after a judge declared that Loughner was able to understand the charges against him. After the shooting, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and underwent forcible psychotropic drug treatments.
Some victims, including Giffords, welcomed the deal as a way to move on. It spared victims and their families from having to go through a potentially lengthy and traumatic trial and locks up the defendant for life.
Christina Pietz, the court-appointed psychologist who treated Loughner, had warned that although Loughner was competent to plead guilty, he remained severely mentally ill and his condition could deteriorate under the stress of a trial.
When Loughner first arrived at a Missouri prison facility for treatment, he was convinced Giffords was dead, even though he was shown a video of the shooting. He eventually realized she was alive after he was forcibly medicated.
'Home for good': Giffords, husband move back to Tucson
It's unknown whether Pima County prosecutors, who have discretion on whether to seek the death penalty against Loughner, will file state charges against him. Stephanie Coronado, a spokeswoman for Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall, said Wednesday that no decision had been made.
It's also unclear where Loughner will be sent to serve his federal sentence. He could return to a prison medical facility like the one in Springfield, Mo., where he's been treated for more than a year. Or he could end up in a prison such as the federal lockup in Florence, Colo., that houses some of the country's most notorious criminals, including Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols and "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski.
The exact placement will depend on the nature of his mental illness and its treatment.
Saul Loeb / EPA
A look at the Arizona lawmaker's rise to prominence — from high school to Capitol Hill.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
No matter what the circumstances this man cannot be trusted in society and has already taken more lives than his is worth. It is a shame we have to pay for his room, board, clothes and guard for the rest of his life.
This SOB needs the Needle today. I am tired of supporting scum like him for the next forty years. He will get three squares a day, Television, Game room, Basketball court, FREE Healthcare, excercise room, swimming pool, sports etc. for the rest of his life. The judge in this case should have to live with this scum.
Heh. Looks like somebody went up side his head already.
Although I believe he should be put down like a rabid dog.
Nothing they do will change what happened, and apparently nothing is being done to prevent it from happening again.
I still want to know WHY he targeted Gabby. Schizophrenia doesn't explain why it was her and not someone else. He was convinced she'd died so it was his intent to kill her specifically. WHY?
Thora: He was a democrat and had an interest in some things happening in the state government. He wrote her a letter and called her office a few times and all he received back was a form letter. He wanted a personal response from her.
Where did you get your information from Jeanette?
Bend over taxpayers - another large screw is headed your way - compliments of the so-called US justice system.
Our legal system is all screwed up no doubt.....he shoud have gotten the death penalty just as all those innocent people did he chose to kill and Mrs.Gifford who has to life with her injuries for the rest of her life.....what rights is he entitled too? Free meals, free place to sleep, free clothes, free medical needs, free this, free that which is what is wrong in this country....the crimnals have all the rights why the victims are forgotten. Hope he gets sent to a prison and gets his just reward......kill someone then scream mental....thats BS!!!!!!
hang him on a cross in the middle of town or shoot him between the eyes.
With all the evidence produced in this trial, and a guilty plea, "Life without the possibility of parole", should be followed by strapping him to a gurney to make sure his life is a short as possible.
What I'd like to know is this: WHY does someone who killed six people -- as well as attempting to kill Giffords, and severely wounding her -- not get the DEATH PENALTY for this? Arizona should take a page from Texas and execute him! This is what the death penalty (recently upheld in California, of all places) was designed to punish!
Why didnt this guy get the death penalty? He shot a congresswoman in the head and an innocent child is dead. I dont understand the rational as to why they did not just take him out back and let the family members of teh little girl have at him.
I spent 25 years working in a county hospital psychiatric receiving area. In can tell you the emphasis is on not treating. If trhe public was aware of how many dangerous psychotics are running loose they would demand we reopen mental hospitals, as it stands the largest mental facilty in the U.S. is in the Los Angeles county jail.. How sad. Thanks to the liberals who are blubbering away about "patient rights".
No this liberal is not blubbering about "patient rights". This liberal is wondering why you are aware of dangerous psychotics running loose and your not screaming about not putting guns in their hands. I would like to see more mental hospitals reopen after Reagan closed them for us, another important issue for pushing mental health care and taxes supporting this. We just got over an election and told the Republican Party we want more taxes from the rich to support health care. So stop talking about blubbering liberals and get to the real issue, gun control and more government funds for mental hospitals and care.
Not sure why folks keep yapping about "Gun Control".
Gun Control laws haven't prevented the gang-banging thugs in DC, Maryland, or New York from getting their hands on one illegally....Try screaming for Thug Control for a change.
Real Gun Control is large holes in small groups inside the 10 ring.
For the same reason that they still yap about Regan closing hospitals when it was Kennedy that started that ball rolling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Mental_Health_Act
I bet you he is an illegal mexican...that is why he is a killer... because the legal people in arizona wold never do such thing ...jahaja sb1040 been racist won't solve the problem...good luck and god bless and illuminate you all people
Wonder why there was never a real comment from his Mom or Dad.
The Big issue is gun control. So glad Jan Brewer was called out about not facing the gun issue. The NRA rules this country with an iron fist and MONEY. Everyone is so afraid of the NRA they will not confront a damn thing they do. The Giffords were saying wake up America and look what guns do. Why do we put guns in crazy mens hands and cry when they kill people. Keep in mind we do put guns in their hands and offer them as much ammunition as they need to kill as many as they want, this blood is on the hands of the NRA.
"The NRA is the problem".......... riiiiight. Keep sippin' the Kool-Aid.
That's why there's MUCH more firearm related crime in strict gun control DC, Maryland, and New York than in Virginia.
The whole thing was tragic, but blaming leaders wo support a constitutional right is not going to help. How about looking at laws that allowed law enforcement to know he had problems and college that knew he had problems that had their hands tied that prevented them from reacting. The guy could have just as easily taken a car and had ran it into the corowd and got similar if not worse results. More work needs to be put into exploring and identifying threats and how to handle these people, while respecting their rights. It is a very fine line. In support of gun ownership, we had a conet Island in detroit robbed last night and owner shot while complying with demande of gunman. A customer drew a weapon and killed the hold up man. Many honest and law abiding citizens carry because they have fears of people just like these. Taking their guns are not the answer.
Perfect, feed, house, clothe, and study him like a Lab Rat at our expense for the rest of his miserable life. What about the lives he cut short? Turn him out into General Pop.
In my opinion, this monster should be declared sub- animal so the laws against extreme torture could be waived. Then I would like to see him publicly tortured beyond all tortures ever inflicted on any living thing for the decades it might take until his last victim dies of natural causes, or decades beyond, 20 years minimal. Then when that time is up, he should be shot up with an extremely painful death drug that would take days or months to kill him. Then his dead carcus to be thrown into a giant public dome filled to the top with human excrement that would be the burial of all the others who are this monstrous. All my opinion. All these sub animals, imo need to be treated this way IN PUBLIC. I would make sure to be there.
This 24 year old idiot 7 terms and 140 years is still not enough for what he did to those people, we can only hope that someone in prison gets close to this hump and just takes care of business and make him suffer like those people had suffer. I am really sick of these humps getting life terms and they are killing children and woman which is horrible so lets all say a prayer that a local hump in his cellblock takes care of business.
Save your bullets, use a rope. Not next yr, not next week, NOW! I sure as hell don't want to pay for this dirtball forever.
He needs to be hung or shot,!
We get to furnish him 3 meals, a cot and body guards 24/7.
Wake up America!!!!!
If Obama had a son, he would look like Jared Lee Loughner.
This speaks more to our failed mental health care system than to failed gun control (or at least equally). Our nation has ignored the existing mental health crisis instead of building up the availability of treatment facilities and medical expertise that could prevent such tragedies. Mental health is as important as physical health and deserves focus, funding, and acceptance. Our lack of mental health insurance coverage and treatment options puts us all at risk.
Can't somebody just go Jack Ruby on this guy and save us a bunch of tax payer money ?
Maybe, if he's put into general population ala Dahmer, but this guy will probably end up in protective custody. 23 hours a day in his cell is the next best thing to the injection he should have received.
he'll get better healthcare,food ,housing,education ,excercise facilities,etc... than struggling hardworking americans who get screwed by the system day in and out. what a waste.you liberals need to stop blaming firearms and look at who is commiting these crimes.the mentally ill, inner city minorities,people who have been f-ed by the system for years on end and the list goes on.leave my right of self defense alone so i can protect myself and my family and concentrate on the wackos you and your aclu type lawyers want to keep alive.why don't you liberals try cleaning up inner cites of all your welfare mooches and gangbangers that drive counties and cities into bankruptcy along with hardworking residents who are preyed upon by the very people liberals protect day in and out for their votes.