FBI agents who searched the home of mass-shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner found evidence that U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was the target of a planned assassination attempt, reports the Arizona Daily Star. Kept inside a safe in the home was an envelope with writing on the outside. “I planned ahead,” “My assassination” and the name Giffords appear on the envelope, along with what appears to be Loughner's signature. Loughner has been cited in five federal charges.
On Saturday, Giffords held her 20th “Congress on Your Corner” event since taking office. There, Loughner, 22, is accused of opening fire with a Glock 9 mm semiautomatic weapon, killing six people – including a federal judge and a child – while wounding Giffords and 13 others. The judge, John Roll, was there to thank Giffords for helping his efforts to help an overburdened federal court system. One of Giffords' surgeons, Michael Lemole, described her condition as “very precarious,” saying, “Brain swelling at any time can take a turn for the worse, but I am cautiously optimistic.”
Link: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_431c04c8-87d2-5165-97e8-c6d0470d5c03.html