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Suspect Fixated on Giffords
Accused Gunman Went to Congresswoman's Event in 2007; 'I Planned Ahead'
TUCSON, Ariz.—Accused gunman Jared Lee Loughner appeared to have been long obsessed with U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
A safe at Mr. Loughner's home contained a form letter from Ms. Giffords' office thanking him for attending a 2007 "Congress on your Corner'' event in Tucson. The safe also held an envelope with handwritten notes, including the name of Ms. Giffords, as well as "I planned ahead," "My assassination," and what appeared to be Mr. Loughner's signature, according to an FBI affidavit.
Jared Lee Loughner, the man suspected of a shooting spree that killed a Federal Judge and critically wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, had left a trail of online videos in which he railed against the government. WSJ's Neil Hickey reports.
Federal authorities charged Mr. Loughner on Sunday with two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and a count of attempting to kill a member of Congress, during a scheduled public appearance by Ms. Giffords here Saturday. More charges are expected, officials said, and Mr. Loughner, age 22, remains in federal custody. He will appear in federal court in Phoenix on Monday afternoon.
Mr. Loughner had complained to a friend about how he was treated by the Arizona lawmaker during an event several years ago, which aggravated Mr. Loughner, according to the friend.
Authorities allege Mr. Loughner's anger exploded on Saturday. Shortly after 10 a.m., as U.S. District Court Judge John Roll greeted Ms. Giffords in front of a Safeway supermarket, authorities charged Mr. Loughner fired a Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol into the back of her head. In the seconds that followed, say authorities, Mr. Loughner shot 19 others, six fatally, including the judge and a 9-year-old girl, before his gun jammed and he was wrestled to the ground.
Hospital officials said Sunday that Ms. Giffords had responded well to brain surgery, though she is still in critical condition. Four other patients who suffered critical wounds were moved out of intensive care.
Federal investigators are still gathering evidence to determine what prompted Mr. Loughner to carry out the attack. Investigators suspect Mr. Loughner acted alone, giving few signs of any violent intent.
[LionTop] Reuters
Man believed to be accused gunman Jared Loughner, top, from his MySpace page
Mr. Loughner was a scrawny, average teenager with a mop of curly hair. He played saxophone at football games and jammed with a friend's garage band. In his freshman and sophomore years at Mountain View High School, Mr. Loughner flew under the radar.
"All he did was play video games and play music," said Tommy Marriotti, a high school friend. Mr. Marriotti said much of Mr. Loughner's free time was devoted to the school band. He wasn't especially political, Mr. Marriotti said, though he expressed frustration with the Bush Administration.
Christina Lunderberg, 21, a high school bandmate, said Mr. Loughner, as a saxophone player, "was really good and talented, and arrogant."
Alex Montanaro, who described himself as once having been one of "Jared's best friends" said his buddy was a good, smart kid who was close to his parents. "Throughout our time together all I saw was a normal, loving relationship," he said.
But around the 10th grade, Mr. Loughner seemed to have "a mental downfall" following his break-up with a girlfriend, said Mr. Montanaro, who responded to questions via email.
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Mr. Loughner started acting strangely, Mr. Montanaro said, and "his friends changed from people like us to more, drug oriented people I suppose." He quit playing saxophone and was eventually ignored by his old friends. "Jared really became an outcast," he said.
Friends say by his junior year Mr. Loughner used drugs and his grades slumped. He didn't return for his senior year.
In 2007, the year he would have graduated from high school, Mr. Loughner was arrested in Pima County and charged with possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, according to court records. His case was dismissed.
Mr. Loughner went "through a tagging phase" in 2009, said Mr. Montanaro, painting graffiti, using phrases from literature. He also would sit in unlocked cars, he said, until the night he was chased off by one car's apparent owner.
One of Mr. Loughner's ambitions was to be a writer, said Mr. Montanaro, and he shared his stories with friends. One short story was about a "reporter during the end of the world speaking with an angel," he recalled.
WSJ's White House Correspondent Jonathan Weisman explains the political context and ramifications of the shooting today of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at a Tucson supermarket.
Mr. Loughner later enrolled in classes at Pima Community College, where he became disruptive and unstable.
Math instructor Ben McGahee said Mr. Loughner's frequent off-topic outbursts during an algebra course last summer frightened other students. On his first test, Mr. Loughner wrote "Mayhem Fest!!!" in large letters, Mr. McGahee said.
Mr. McGahee said he tried to remove Mr. Loughner from class on several occasions, but college officials didn't agree.
