Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords returned to the House floor Thursday to mark the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that cut short her political career. She returned alongside her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, during a ceremony that drew praise from top House Democrats and a standing ovation from lawmakers in the chamber.
Giffords held hands with Kelly as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lauded her congressional service and her advocacy for tougher gun control measures. In the House chamber, she received a standing ovation from a few dozen lawmakers, most of them fellow Democrats.
Jeffries, speaking during the event, said: “House Democrats stand with Gabby and with all Americans who say ‘enough is enough,’” and 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 Jan. 8, 2011, while meeting with constituents at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. The attack killed six people and injured 12 others, in addition to Giffords, who was left with limited motion on one side and aphasia.
The report said no coherent motive has been established for the shooter, Jared Loughner. It also said Loughner had schizophrenia and shared a variety of disjointed, nonsensical conspiracies in his online posts.
Loughner was sentenced to life in prison after being forcibly medicated to make him competent to stand trial, the report said. It described the targeting of a political event as foreshadowing a rising tide of violence that has increasingly shadowed American democracy in the years since.
The report cited subsequent incidents including the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and two attempts on Donald Trump’s life. It also referenced the killing last June of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband.
More recently, the report said conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while talking to college students. It said Giffords left Congress after the shooting to focus on her recovery, cutting short a career that many in Arizona believe would have included a run for governor or U.S. Senate.
In the years after, Giffords and Kelly created a political group that is now known as GIFFORDS. The report said the organization lobbies for tougher gun laws and works to elect state and federal lawmakers who will support them.
Kelly was elected to the Senate in 2020 and was a finalist to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election, the report said.