Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head and one of her aides killed by a lone gunman during a Saturday meet-and-greet with voters outside a Tucson grocery store, officials said.
A spokeswoman at the University Medical Center in Tucson said the seriously-injured Giffords was in surgery, contradicting earlier reports that her wounds were fatal.
"Ms. Giffords is alive. She is currently in surgery. There are nine other shooting victims at the hospital," University Medical Center spokeswoman Darci Slaten
One of the victims was a child.
Giffords, 40, was shot at point-blank range during the scheduled public appearance in her home state. President Obama labeled the attack "an unspeakable tragedy," and offered his prayers for Giffords and her family.
"We do not yet have all the answers," the President said. "What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society."
An undetermined number of people were wounded, and authorities confirmed one fatality - an aide to the Congresswoman.
Giffords, a third-term Democrat, was chatting with a couple about 1 p.m. local time outside a Safeway store in her district when the shooter opened fire with an automatic weapon from about four feet away.
The killer, described as a man in his teens or early 20s, was tackled by a bystander as he tried to run from the scene.
"He's in custody," said a federal law enforcement official in Washington. "We don't have any motive right now. She's in surgery."
The gunfire erupted around 10 a.m. during the "Congress at Your Corner" event. A witness told CNN that 15 to 20 gunshots were fired during the shooting spree.
Another eyewitness reported seeing two bodies, covered with sheets, on the sidewalk outside the store.
Giffords was shot along with members of her staff, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.
Her last Twitter message encouraged constituents to attend the meeting: "My 1st Congress on Your Corner starts now. Please stop by to let me know what is on your mind."
Last March, the front door of her district office was shattered - apparently over her support of President Obama's health care program.
In the wake of the shooting, U.S. Capitol police issued a warning urging all members of Congress and their staffs "to take reasonable and prudent precautions regarding their personal security."
The Congresswoman was known for cracking down on illegal immigration, urging deployment of the National Guard and new technology to protect the Arizona border.
Before her election to Congress in 2006, the Arizona native served in the state legislature.
Her husband, Capt. Mark Kelly, is a Navy pilot, a Desert Storm veteran and an astronaut. He was on his way back to Arizona from Houston after learning of the shooting.
Giffords was one of 20 vulnerable Democrats singled out by ex-GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for defeat in the 2010 elections. The Palin map illustrating the campaigns actually put a target sight on each district.
But Giffords outlasted her conservative Tea Party opponent and returned to Washington.
Palin issued a statement through her Facebook page about the shooting.
"My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona," she said.
Read more: US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot in Arizona, multiple wounded
A spokeswoman at the University Medical Center in Tucson said the seriously-injured Giffords was in surgery, contradicting earlier reports that her wounds were fatal.
"Ms. Giffords is alive. She is currently in surgery. There are nine other shooting victims at the hospital," University Medical Center spokeswoman Darci Slaten
One of the victims was a child.
Giffords, 40, was shot at point-blank range during the scheduled public appearance in her home state. President Obama labeled the attack "an unspeakable tragedy," and offered his prayers for Giffords and her family.
"We do not yet have all the answers," the President said. "What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society."
An undetermined number of people were wounded, and authorities confirmed one fatality - an aide to the Congresswoman.
Giffords, a third-term Democrat, was chatting with a couple about 1 p.m. local time outside a Safeway store in her district when the shooter opened fire with an automatic weapon from about four feet away.
The killer, described as a man in his teens or early 20s, was tackled by a bystander as he tried to run from the scene.
"He's in custody," said a federal law enforcement official in Washington. "We don't have any motive right now. She's in surgery."
The gunfire erupted around 10 a.m. during the "Congress at Your Corner" event. A witness told CNN that 15 to 20 gunshots were fired during the shooting spree.
Another eyewitness reported seeing two bodies, covered with sheets, on the sidewalk outside the store.
Giffords was shot along with members of her staff, according to Peter Michaels, news director of Arizona Public Media.
Her last Twitter message encouraged constituents to attend the meeting: "My 1st Congress on Your Corner starts now. Please stop by to let me know what is on your mind."
Last March, the front door of her district office was shattered - apparently over her support of President Obama's health care program.
In the wake of the shooting, U.S. Capitol police issued a warning urging all members of Congress and their staffs "to take reasonable and prudent precautions regarding their personal security."
The Congresswoman was known for cracking down on illegal immigration, urging deployment of the National Guard and new technology to protect the Arizona border.
Before her election to Congress in 2006, the Arizona native served in the state legislature.
Her husband, Capt. Mark Kelly, is a Navy pilot, a Desert Storm veteran and an astronaut. He was on his way back to Arizona from Houston after learning of the shooting.
Giffords was one of 20 vulnerable Democrats singled out by ex-GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for defeat in the 2010 elections. The Palin map illustrating the campaigns actually put a target sight on each district.
But Giffords outlasted her conservative Tea Party opponent and returned to Washington.
Palin issued a statement through her Facebook page about the shooting.
"My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona," she said.
Read more: US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot in Arizona, multiple wounded
