PHOENIX (AP) — Survivors of the mass shooting that left former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords severely wounded are pleading with the public to help pay for a long-planned memorial after state funding fell through during this year’s session of the Arizona Legislature.
The Jan. 8, 2011, shooting at a Giffords meet-and-greet event outside a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona, left six dead and 13 injured, including the former congresswoman. Shooter Jared Loughner was sentenced to life in prison.
The January 8th Memorial Foundation has spent the past several years raising money for a $5 million memorial in downtown Tucson that would include carved symbols along a dark red steel wall, items from makeshift memorials following the shooting and areas to reflect.
The Arizona House of Representatives approved $2.5 million in funding this year for the project over five years, but the bill was never heard in the Senate. Crystal Kasnoff, the foundation’s executive director, said it’s a mystery why the bill didn’t get support in the Senate like it did in the House. But former U.S. Rep. Ron Barber, a shooting victim who took over Giffords’ seat before losing a re-election bid in 2014, said Monday that the issue became unjustly politicized. Barber worked for Giffords at the time of the shooting.
Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut, founded Americans for Responsible Solutions, a political action committee that aims to tighten gun laws. “I’m really concerned that people who wanted to stop this memorial from being funded in the Senate decided to politicize it. And it’s not political, but that’s what they made it,” Barber said.
Fundraising for the memorial to honor victims of the Giffords shooting began a few years ago. The project has raised $1.7 million so far, most of which will be used for construction. The foundation is also hosting an online fundraiser that has pulled $6,500 of its $1.5 million goal.
Survivors like Ken Dorushka, who was shot in the arm while shielding his wife, Carol, from Loughner, say the memorial is crucial for the community to remember and reflect on the tragic event. Dorushka said during a news conference on Monday that he was awed by the response from the Tucson community following the shooting.
Thousands of people set up makeshift memorials outside of the hospital where most patients were treated, at Giffords’ office and at the grocery store where the shooting took place. Many of those items, including stuffed animals, signs and balloons, are archived at a Tucson museum. Some will also be used at the memorial.
“These were remarkable to us because what they gave us was the feeling that all of you out there in the community cared. All of you were supportive,” Dorushka said. “But it’s important for us to reflect and teach young kids what happened that day and what the reaction of this town was.”
Nancy Bowman is a nurse who was at the grocery store and ran out to render aid to victims. “When I finally got home that day and got into the shower and watched the blood of other people swirl down the shower drain, I went out and put my head in my husband’s lap and I just shook. I just shook,” Bowman said.
Bowman said she found comfort in outreach from neighbors, friends and strangers. “It just seemed like the entire community just embraced us an enveloped us in love and concern and care, compassion and support,” Bowman said. “There needs to be a place in the community where we can come and remember who Tucson is.”
All the”victims pretty much got what they deserved. A memorial built,would be built to sin…..
Not the judge, he was testifying and that is why the “shooting”.
……’“I’m really concerned that people who wanted to stop this memorial from being funded in the Senate decided to politicize it. And it’s not political, but that’s what they made it,”’……..Na, the commies will get around to you…they’re just a bit busy right now taking down all those statues in the South
Stolen taxpayer loot to build a memorial to what, exactly? These sissies don’t need a memorial, they need a size 12 up their collective asses.
If they really need a memorial, I know of some statues down in Louisiana that aren’t being used.
I challenge the fact Giffords was shot, not enough blood on her compress or the aid that saved her (seen in the photo of her on a stretcher at the scene), i gashed my head recently and it bled like no tomorrow, not buying it.
Taking a bullet (assuming she actually was shot) from an alleged insane person while working for a crime enterprise is not deserved of a memorial.
Absolutely with you on the head bleed issue
Nailed my noggin not to far back, cut a good gash in it , and I’ll tell ya it took a while to stop it from bleeding , and it was all over me within minuets
I looked worse than any of all these fake photos you see on here
She ( Gifford) is allegedly blind in I believe her right eye , I’d love to see someone publicly prove that as a lie with a trick, to see her reaction from that side when shes not supposed to be able to see.. also a film of her walking and talking when she thinks no one is around
Good idea, except I would assume they would toss whoever tried to expose her in a gulag.
I had blood spatters everywhere and I looked like something out of a horror flick, fixed it with peroxide and super glue. Your right about not seeing enough or realistic blood at many of the terror events and mass shootings, the lack of genuine emotion from the survivors is a big tell as well.
I’m ALL FOR a memorial to the mass shooting of Congress-critters….
When do you think there will be the afore-mentioned shooting, and can we bury the dead critters under the memorial?
“… a $5 million memorial in downtown Tucson that would include carved symbols…”
Make that sigils.
“But it’s important for us to reflect and teach young kids what happened that day…”
You mean INDOCTRINATE young kids…
… since YOUR version of the event is nothing but a pack of lies.