January 8, 2011: One Year Later

CREATED Dec. 19, 2011

  • Print
  • Giffords, Tucson mark 1 year since deadly rampage Video by kgun9.com

    video

Producer: Martha Serda
Anchors: Guy Atchley, Jennifer Waddell
Show Editor: John Wellbeloved

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Guy Atchley, "Good evening, thank you for joining us.  I'm Guy Atchley."

Jennifer Waddell, "I'm Jennifer Waddell.  Tonight a Special Presentation: "January 8th: 1 Year Later."  For Tucsonans' especially it was a day we will never forget.

Guy Atchley,  "19 people shot, including the first assassination attempt on a member of Congress, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  Six people died."

Jennifer Waddell, "This horrific event unified our community and our country.  We begin with the day's events.  Here is a timeline released by the Pima County Sheriff's Dept.

4:12 a.m.  Jared Lee Loughner posted "Goodbye friends" on MySpace.

7:04 a.m. Loughner attempts to purchase ammunition at the Wal-Mart at the Foothills Mall.

7:27: a.m. Loughner purchases ammunition and a  black diaper bag at the Super Wal-Mart on Cortaro.

7:30 a.m.  AZ Game and Fish Department officer stops Loughner for running r ed light at Cortaro and I-10.

7:31 a.m.  - 9:40 a.m.  Loughner returns home, removes black bag from the vehicle.  His father confronts him and he runs off with the bag.

9:41 a.m.  Cab driver picks up Loughner from Circle K on West Cortaro Farms Rd. and drives him to Safeway on Ina and Oracle.

9:54 a.m.  Cab driver and Loughner enter Safeway to get change for fare.

10:10 a.m. Loughner opens fire.  19 people wounded: 6 fatalities, 13 injured.

10:11 a.m.  Pima County Sheriff's Department receives 911 call of shooting.

10:14 a.m.  Rural Metro Fire Rescue 76, first medical unit to arrive.

10:15 a.m. Pima County Sheriff's Deputy Adudetat, first Deputy to arrive.

The following people died at the scene or nearby hospitals.

Christina-Taylor Green (2001 - 2011)

Dorothy "Dot" Morris (1934- 2011)

Judge John Roll (1947 - 2011)

Phyllis Scheck (1931- 2011)

Gabriel "Gabe" Zimmerman (1981-2011)

Mavy Stoddard, "I'm Mavy Stoddard.  On January 8th, my husband Dorwan and I were in the Tucson tragedy.  As the shooter was shooting his gun, we fell.  Dorwan covered my body and saved my life, he lost his."

Ron Barber, "My name is Ron Barber, I'm Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' District Director and I was standing beside her when we were both shot on January 8th outside the Safeway."

Pam Simon, " I'm Pam Simon, Community Outreach Coordinator for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Office.  On January 8th I was helping Gabe Zimmerman set up to begin for Congress on your Corner."

John & Roxanna Green, "I'm John Green, father of Christina-Taylor Green.  I"m Roxanna Green, the mother of Christina-Taylor Green."

Suzi Hileman, "I'm Suzi Hileman and on January 8th, 2011, I went to my girlfriend's driveway and picked her daughter Christina-Taylor."

Ross Zimmerman, "I'm Ross Zimmerman.  I'm Gabriel Zimmerman's father.  On January 8th I was at home about to work on a  project for Gabrielle Giffords' websites that he and I worked on together when I got a phone call that there had been a shooting."

Col. Bill Badger, "I'm Col. Bill Badger and on January 8th I was over to see the Congresswoman for her Congress On Your Corner.  I witnessed the tragic event there."

Joe Zamudio, "My name is Joseph Zamudio and on January 8th I was at the Safeway shopping center when the gunman attacked Gabby Giffords and I helped hold them down."

Patricia Maisch, "I'm Patricia Maisch I was at the Safeway store on January 8th, 2011 to visit Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords."

Daniel Hernandez, "My name is Daniel Hernandez and on January 8th I was one of the first responders for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords."

Dr. Peter Rhee, "My Name is Dr. Peter, Rhee, I'm the Chief of Trauma at University Medial Center and on January 8th I was part of the team that took care of Gabrielle Giffords."

Dr. Michael Lemole, "I'm Michael Lemole, Chief of Neurosurgery at University Medical Center and on January 8th I was part of the team that treated Congresswoman Giffords."

Deputy Thomas Audetat, "My name is Thomas Audetat Junior, I was the first Deputy on scene the day of the January 8th shooting."

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, "I'm Clarence Dupnik, Pima County Sheriff and on January 8th, 2011, was the blackest day of my life and I think the blackest day of Tucson's life."

Guy Atchley, "Besides the six people shot and killed on January 8th, 13 others survived and are now on the road to recovery , including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords."

Jennifer Waddell, "In November, ABC News aired an exclusive interview with both the Congresswoman and her husband Mark Kelly.  She continues to make remarkable strides. Our first image of Congresswoman Giffords, she was a on a stretcher being medivaced to UMC.  Several news organizations had her deceased.  But KGUN 9 News did not report that.  We were the only television station in this area to wait for news from the hospital.  And that word came."

Dr. Peter Rhee, "The Congresswoman is not deceased.  She is in critical condition.  Neurosurgeons have finished operating on her.  I can tell you right now I'm very optimistic about her recovery."

Guy Atchley, "Where were you when the call came that something had happened?  Dr. Michael Lemole, "I was actually at the Golf Pro Shop at my club where my had just had his first golf lesson and so I go that call simultaneously on my cellphone as I was looking up at the TV screen.  It was a very surreal moment. "

Guy Atchley, "Did you get to the hospital after the Congresswoman did?"

Dr. Michael Lemole, "Oh, of course. In fact the person who called me was the Trauma Surgeon on call and he's already thoroughly checked her through and told me I needed to come check this out.  And that's typical.  the trauma surgeons are the front line guys in this scenario.  As far the Congresswoman did.  She was extremely fortunate.  I have said that from the beginning I think.  The fortunes were as lined up for her as she could possibly be.  We don't have that same type of situation that we did that Saturday.  So there were many things for her that really worked out well as well as it could after the given circumstances."

Guy Atchley, "As far as the trajectory of the wound, she was quite fortunate."

Dr. Michael Lemole, "She was fortunate.  We're talking a couple of degrees off in either direction and the injuries could have been fatal if not much more debilitating."

Jennifer Waddell, "So many of your colleagues and you used words like miraculous, amazing, fantastic when referring to Gabby's progress.  First we learned she was alive and then continued to get these updates from you and your team with those kinds words. Do you think  that any of it was blown out of proportion?"

Dr. Peter Rhee, "Absolutely, those weren't our words.  They're not normally words use in practice.  But you know that's fine.  IT was a time of need for our city and country and I think they were just reaching for something and the news had legs of it's own.  They way it spread and the way it went forward."

Guy Atchley, "Just a few days after she was shot the President and first lady came to Tucson for a Together We Thrive Special Event to heal our community. And we heard heard good news.

President Barack Obama, "Gabby opened her eyes for the first time.  Gabby opened her eyes for the first time."

Guy Atchley, "Congresswoman Giffords left UMC by ambulance on January 21st, 2011 -- 13 days after being shot. She was bound for Houston.  Hundreds of supporters lined Tucson streets to see her off on the next leg of her journey.

She took off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on her way to TIRR Memorial Hospital to continue her recovery.  August 1, 2011, Giffords made a surprise visit to DC to cast her vote in favor of a Bi-Partisan bill to prevent another economic crisis.

The Congresswoman then made another trip to DC for her husband's retirement ceremony in October of 2011.  On November 14th, a glimpse inside her recovery as shot through a home video camera.

Congresswoman Giffords & Mark Kelly's interview with ABC'S Diane Sawyer, "What's the first word you think of?  Giffords:  Brave.  Mark Kelly: Brave and tough.  Giffords: Tough, tough, tough."

She also recorded a message for Tucson.

Congresswoman Giffords,"Hello this is Gabby Giffords.  I miss you.  I miss Tucson, the mountains, blue skies, even the heat.  I'm getting stronger.  I'm getting better."

Guy Atchley interviews Mavy Stoddard. She is a shooting survivor.

"Guy:  Tells us more about the actual shooting. When it began. Did he actually place his body between you and the gunman?  Mavy: Yes.  I was starting to fall down and fell on top of me.  He pushed me on down and fell on top of me to save me.  But I didn't expect us to be shot because the gunman was probably 15 feet in front of us. I expected him to run, but that  isn't what he did.  When we turned the one shot that I guess shot Gabby had been shot.  And then there was a pause and more were being shot, that's when my first thought was fall and I guess it did save my life, but it's just real ironic that some of the people standing there beside her didn't get shot, and yet some of those standing way back did. When they got me to NW and uncovered my legs they found five bullet holes. Guy:  Tell me more about Dorwan.  Mavy:  Okay he was really wonderful man. He was my 6th and 7th grade boyfriend, but I hadn't seen him since my 13th birthday party, but we both married shortly out of high school, went out our separate ways but stayed in touch with his cousin and his wife all those years that we were both married.  He has four boys and I have four girls, but he was a wonderful Christian man who couldn't give enough.  And making me happy was the ultimate of his life. "I didn't deny I knew what happened. I held him as he died and I'm thankful to God for letting me.  I don't how I got out from under him and held him but I did.  But, I still was kind of play acting for a long, long time.  You know the very strong woman that everything is going is alright with and I got by with it but once in a while it would break me down."

Guy Atchley interviewing Ross Zimmerman.  He is the father of Gabriel Zimmerman.

I really don't know that much of the details of the scene of the crime and don't especially want to know the details.  The things we are clear on is that when the shooting Gabe was down the line keeping things moving and apparently started sprinting into the middle of things and was shot in the back of the head, I think as he was driving toward Gabriel and Ron and was killed instantly and fell down beside Ron as Ron was bleeding to death and Ron saw him go down and Ron said that Gabe was gone at that point.  What we took from that is that he did not suffer and that's something that was important to us. guy: here we are a year later. Where are you in the healing process? guy what do you want people to know about your son?  Zimmerman:  well I wanted people to remember my son and I'm pretty confident of that, that we know he was an outgoing, fearless human being.  We know he was in the job he was in because he was well suited for the job.  He and Gabriel worked well together and like each other quite a bit.  Zimmerman: Well there's a whole set of processes, grief, a whole lot of processes that you go through with something like this, this isn't something that's gonna heal up and be gone.  I'm gonna miss Gabe every day of my life until I die and that's not gonna change."

The honorable Judge John McCarthy Roll.  A Man serious about law and passionate about his Catholic Faith and devoted to family.  He was stopping by to say hi to his friend Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  Judge Roll worked as a City and County Prosecutor before joining the Arizona Court of Appeals in Pima County.  During that time Judge Roll found time to coach baseball.  

His friend, Michael Piccareta, "A super trial lawyer and was very hard working, well intentions, honest and sincere lawyer before he became a judge."

76 Year old Dorothy "Dot" Morris. She was also in line to see Congresswoman Giffords and was there with her husband George.  When the gunman opened fire, her husband was shot several times, but survived the shooting. Dorothy Morris was killed.

Phyllis Schneck wasn't politically active, but she wanted to meet Giffords after hearing about her views.  She'd moved to Tucson from New Jersey and became involved in her Church groups and her hobbies.  Her daughter BJ Offut still lives in New Jersey, but spoke to us a day after the shooting.

BJ Offut, "She liked to do crafts, puzzles and she was one of the best cooks you'd ever want to find."

Guy Atchley interview Suzi Hileman.  She attended Congress On Your Corner.

guy:  "how much do you recall of the shots that were fired?  Suzi: I heard the first shots.  I never heard gunfire before, but there was no doubt that that's what it was.  And then I have snippets of memory  I remember looking down and seeing a hole in my jeans and blood pouring out.  I remember lying on the ground holding Christina's  hand.  Exhorting  her not to leave me there.  We came together, we were leaving together.  I remember Nancy Bowman the nurse who had been shopping for brussel sprouts with her hand on my thigh, keeping me from bleeding to death and telling me that I was gonna be okay and not to worry about it.  I remember the medivac helicopter and the first res-ponders who carried me on the wooden plank to the helicopter.  And I remember somebody telling me at UMC that I was going to be fine and my job was to lie still and let them take care of me. Next thing I woke up and my family was telling me the President was coming to visit me in the hospital.  But in that time I had two surgeries and Christina died and my family came and my friends came guy: "do you remember the last words that Christina spoke to you or you spoke to her?  Suzi "the conversation we were having was a picture of the Congresswoman and what I said to her was that I loved her.  Don't leave me.  Don't leave me here sweetheart.  Christina-Taylor Green we came here together, we're gonna leave together.  She was my responsibility."

John Green, "She had a way of leading people but also making them feel good about themselves."

Roxanna Green, "Christina was a daddy's girl.  She was very much like me in her mannerisms, but she was a Daddy's girl."

The parents of the littlest victim tell Nine On Your Side about their healing road.

The little girl who wanted to be President and play Major League Baseball and inspired many.

Roxanna and John Green open up about their only daughter and how her spirit keeps them going.

Jennifer Waddell interview Mr. & Mrs. Green.

Jen:  As we are here at the one year anniversary and you think now about emotions and where you are and how you've healed, if you have started to heal, where are you in the process right now? John: Pretty early I think.  We've learned how to function, from day to day.  But still there's an awful lot of sadness still and we have a son, we have to keep that mind, he's doing very well."

 But again, I think this is gonna take a long time for us to heal, so we're gonna do our thing and keep trying to honor Christina any way we can and it's very painful at times, all the things that we're doing, brings back painful memories, but I think she would be proud so many people are interested in what she's done.  Jen:  How about you Roxanna?  Roxanna I think our foundation.  The Christina Taylor Green Memorial Foundation has been therapeutic for myself and for my family.  It helps us to heal, keeping busy, giving back to the community and giving back to less fortunate people. That's what Christina was all about.  Fulfilling her dreams, the foundation and making sure her legacy endures.  It's helpful to me in the healing process." Jen:  When you think back to that day and how it unfolded, can you walk through as best you can, what that day was like, for each of you, what you can remember of it?  Roxanne:Um, it was just like any other Saturday.  Christina was really excited to go meet Gabrielle Giffords, someone that she admired and I took Dallas to Karate class and John went to do some chores at some newly acquired rental property.  So it was just any other beautiful Saturday morning in Tucson.  I don't really remember the rest and don't really want to go there, but 11 or 11:30 is when I got the phone call, went to UMC and found out what had happened. We're not immune it's horrible, terrible tragedy, but we believe in heaven we're going to see her again.  And she's with my Mom and having a great life.  God had a bigger plan for her and when we're feeling down.  When there's dark times and we don't even want to go on, we think she's in heaven, singing with the Angels and having a really good time.  She would want us to be happy and move forward."

Deputy Audetat, "From my standpoint I was just doing my job, responding to a call I was dispatched to.  I didn't expect the scene that was there to be so dramatic."

Retired Col. Bill Badger, " I saw him start walking down the line of the people sitting in the 12 chairs and just shooting them one right after the other.  I could see them falling to the ground."

President Obama, "I think it's important for us to also focus on extraordinary courage shown over the course of these events. A 20-year-old college student who ran into line of fire to rescue his boss.  A woman who helped secure the ammunition that might have caused some more damage. The citizens who wrestled down the gunman, part of what I think that speaks to best of America."

They don't call themselves heroes, but their actions say otherwise.

The other federal workers helping out at the Congress On Your Corner event were shot.  They lived to tell their stories.  Ron Barber was of them.  He explains how Maureen Roll, the widow of the late Judge John Roll, reached out to him shortly after the shooting.  It was reported Judge Roll tried to save Barber.

Jennifer Waddell interview Ron Barber.

Ron:    I don't know if John protected me that day I really can't remember that one way or the other but she wanted to make sure I wasn't gonna be pummeled by questions I couldn't answer you  know.  Jen:  very protective  Jen.  So how are you feeling, how are you doing?Ron:   Well I feel mostly good. I've made a lot of progress since January 8th. Ron: I'm back to work at the office part time.  My doctor has been very conservative about letting me go back but, I have been back for about five months on a four-hour a day shift.  It's great to be back.  The staff is absolutely fantastic. they were back on the job 48 hours after the shooting.  In spite their grief, loss of Gabe, the fact that the Congresswoman, myself and Gabe and Pam Simon were all in the hospital and all the rest that had happened, they were determined to keep the office functioning and the Congresswoman I believe would want it be. Ron: "it's bittersweet in a way because everyday before the shooting I would meet with Gabe Zimmerman 4,5, 6 times a day to work on projects to get things done. And I'm sometimes sitting at my desk and I think I'm gonna go ask Gabe something and of course I know he's not there and that's been the hardest part of returning to work is that there's a big hole in our organization as well as in our hearts because this wonderful young man is longer with us. Jen:"How are you all communicating with Gabby to get things done?  It's obvious that the office has done a lot of work in her absence.  How does that dynamic work? Ron:  Well the Congresswoman gets regular reports on what we're doing.  She's very interested in hearing about all the things that are happening in the district.  She and Mark get both written and as well as verbal reports about activities events and so forth. Ron:  She will want to know that she can do the job if she wants to run again, but I really don't know what she's gonna do or when she's gonna make that decision.  She's gonna make it and we'll know it when she tells us."

Guy Atchley interviews Pam Simon.

Pam: "first thing I remember is what a beautiful, crisp day it was.  I arrived about an hour early about the same time Gabe did, we joked about how we had beat all the interns and we started unloading his truck and getting things set up.  Gabe had done a lot of these and knew where he wanted everything.  It was very chilly and texted Gabby and told her she should wear something warm. Got setup and people arrived.  It had all the makings for a perfect Congress On Your Corner.A few seconds later the gunman appeared between Gabby and myself and I do remember Gabby going down. And Mark, Ron going down, Mark Kimble was standing nearby, um, I think I may have been the third or fourth one that was shot, because I suddenly found myself on the ground, very quickly realized what had happened.  Though at that split second you couldn't possibly understand the magnitude of what was really happening."  Guy:  Where were you hit? Pam:  I was hit once in the wrist, once in the chest and that bullet miraculously did not go through me but turned and lodged in my upper hip and was removed a week later. guy:  "here we are almost a year later, how's this changed your life?  Pam: It's been a very profound experience.  Very had to explain actually. There's been so many levels.  Partly it's been a very public event and then it's been a very personal event.  Personal in that everyone has to do their healing journey and we do it on very different timeliness."

Jen:  "there's been a lot of people who said you were one of the heroes of that day. In your mind what defines a hero?  Col. Badger:   Well I don't consider myself a hero for what I did on January 8th."

They will classify themselves as heroes.  On January 8th, four strangers came together to end Tucson's deadliest shooting rampage in recent history.

Roger Salzgeber took a folding chair and hit Jared Lough er with it.  Col. Bill Badger hit him on the back and brought him to the ground.  Patricia Maisch grabbed a magazine and sat on his legs.  Joe Zamudio ran over to aid in holding Loughner down and securing his gun.  Here's their story.

Jennifer Waddell interviews Col. Bill Bad er.

en:  What do you remember? Col. Badger, Well, I remember the first shot that was fired and when I got  to the sight I could see Gabby talking to an individual.  Little Christina Green was looking up just idolizing her.  And then one of her aids, turned out to be Gabe Zimmerman told me I would have to get signed in and go down to the end of th line. So I went down with Daniel Hernandez and signed and a couple more people walked up there and I was standing there talking to them when the first shot was fired. Jen: And then what do you remember after that?  Col.  Well it was really tragic because the first shot was fired, I didn't see the gunner shoot Gabby or the little girl or Judge Roll, but I saw him start walking down the line of the people sitting in the 12 chairs and just shooting them one right after the other.  I could see them falling to the ground. He looked at me and pointed the gun at me. When he put his hand up to grab it with both hands, that's when I ducked.  Just as I ducked I felt this burning, stinging, sensation on the back of my head and I knew I'd been hit. One of the other people who were there hit him with one of the folding chairs that they'd been sitting on and he leaned forward and ducked and when he did his left hand flew out like that and that just gave me the opportunity grab his left hand.  I stuck my foot in front of his feet, came back and hit him just as hard as I could right on his back.  And he went down and turned his head just before his face hit the sidewalk, he turned, smacked his head on the sidewalk. 9:06  I jumped on him.  Put my hands on his throat like that and told him not to move.  I said don't move.  But I did ask him, why in the world would you do something like this? And he did not answer me."

Joe Zamudio's interview.

Before I could even finish my transaction at the counter I heard gunshots and it was like, pop, pop, pop, really fast.  I've been around guns most of life, so I knew there was gunshots.  I carry so I had my ruger with me.  I didn't even think about my gun.  I just took off running and when I came out of the doorway.  He said, shooter, shooter get down.  I turned and saw what I later found out was Bill, Roger and Patricia Maisch over there with Loughner on the ground. I was going over there and he raises up with Loughner's pistol and I at this point didn't know anything, except I heard gunshots and now I see a gun and it scared me really bad.  I noticed that the sight was locked I didn't pull my gun out.  I ran up to him and grabbed his wrist and told him to put the gun down, which he did.  It wasn't his gun.  He just didn't want Loughner to have it. Bill had blood coming all down his face.  He's my ultimate hero.  He got shot in the head and then came back and grabbed him.  I mean if he hadn't grabbed him he might have still been free moving.  And then I would have to have faced him or somebody else would have to have grabbed him from behind."

Guy Atchley interviews Patricia Maisch.

guy:  what happened?  Patricia: I got there early, I'm never early.  I got there early checked in with Daniel.  Signed in and he told me he was gonna try to take people in order so I went to the grocery store.  Guy:  what had you planned to talk about?  Patricia:  I had a list of things. One of them was to thank her for her support for the stimulus pkg because as a small business it did help us. guy: How far away were you from the Congresswoman when the bullets started flying?  Patricia:  I was probably 30 or 40 feet away.  I had gone to the line, when I came back out there was nobody there when I arrived and when I came back out there was a number of people. I just thought it would be better and more polite to go to the end of the line and enjoy the day.  So that saved my life or else I would have been up in front so I went in to get a banana and a bottle of water, that was a lifesaving banana.  Guy:  It was wasn't it?  Patricia: It was. Guy:  I have never heard you say that before.  Patricia:  If I had just waited in line I probably would have been injured or worse. Roger Salzgeber and Bill Badger had knocked him down and I was right there when they said grab his gun and grab his magazine. Patricia:  I was able to get the magazine away from him. guy: "were you on the ground yourself or were you standing?  Patricia: When they said get the gun, get the magazine I knelt up and I was able to get it while I was kneeling. Guy:  And what was going through your mind?  Patricia:  Well some people said I was saying some things to the shooter that I don't remember saying like why did you do this?  But what was going through my mind was that he was flailing his legs a little but so so I thought he  might be able to free himself so I knelt on his ankles."

Jennifer Waddell interviewed Daniel Hernandez.

I appreciate the sentiment.  I must humbly reject the use of the word hero. I'm not one.  President: And Daniel, I'm sorry you may deny it, we've decided you are a hero because you ran through the chaos to administer to your boss and tended to her wounds and help keep her alive. Jen: How has your perspective about what happened on January 8th changed? If it's changed at all?  Do you see it any differently now than you did then? Daniel:  You know up on reflection it's been a really interesting perspective that I have on the day of and the days after and I don't think too much has changed, because I think the things that I said four day after at the Memorial when the President came still hold true today.  I still don't think that I'm a hero.  I still think that we need to honor those who lost loved ones to keep them in our thoughts and at the forefront of everything that is going on. Daniel: "When I got to Gabby she became my first priority, not because she was the Congresswoman, not because she was the boss, not because she was someone I considered a friend, but because of the severity of her injury.  Because looking at her she had just one injury, but I was able to tell it was a severe gun shot wound.  Daniel: "The only thing I had was my bare hands, so for the first couple of minutes I was just using my bare hands, talking to her, keeping her  engaged, because I knew how important it was to keep her alert and conscious and engaged in what was going on around her."

Jennifer Waddell interviewed Deputy Thomas Audetat.

Jennifer:  "Thomas, you and had a chance to talk right after the shootings, just days after and at the time I'm sure you were probably still processing a lot of what happened despite the fact that you deal with crisis type situations fairly often, looking back now what are your thoughts from that day? You're right it did take a few, really about two weeks before I was able to process the whole incident.  There was a lot of things going on at the same time. So you get there, do you see a lot of people, do you see a lot of blood?  Do you hear a lot of things?  Deputy, Initially I don't see very much blood or people wounded at the time.  My focus was directly toward the shooter.  When I got to him there were several people on him already.  I knelt down put my knee in his back and placed him in handcuffs and at that point I was able to look around, take the scene in a little bit better.  From my vantage point I did see several people that did have gunshot wounds. Thomas:  "I didn't expect the scene there to be so dramatic, but at the time I just relied on my training and experience from my previous job to the best I could do.  Jen:  What was your previous job?  Thomas: I was in the Marine Corps for eight years."

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, "I don't think we'll ever really know the truth because I don't think he knew the truth.  He decided to take out a Congresswoman and whole lot of other people as well."

John & Roxanna Green, "Roxanne and I have talked about it.  I was a random act from somebody that uh, we don't really talk about him. What we do is talk about our daughter."

Their feelings, their thoughts on the accused shooter, Jared Lee Loughner.

The accused shooter on January 8th is currently getting mental treatment at a facility in Missouri.  Five months after the shooting a Federal Judge declared him "incompetent" to stand trial.  Doctors are now working to restore him to competency.  His lawyers are working to get the forcible anti-psychotic medication stopped.  Nine On Your Side did series of investigations on his past.  It turns out Pima Community College Professors were afraid of him.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, "People out at Pima College were terrified of this guy. Some of them had guards."

Jared Lee Loughner shot this video on Pima's campus months after the college suspended him and weeks before he was charged with opening fire at the Safeway.  Soon after the shootings, we saw a video he posted to YouTube.  It gave the world a chilling glimpse into the mind of a man now pleading not guilty to 49 counts, including shooting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Opinions on the accused shooter Jared Lee Loughner vary.

Some are angry, some are sad for him and others are working toward forgiveness, but many agree that he needed Psychiatric help.

Suzi Hileman, "There's a court case going on so it's very difficult for me to.  I have to, I'm very sad and very angry.  Both of those feelings co-exist."

Mavy Stoddard, "What is your attitude toward the shooter?  Mavy: I feel very sorry for him. I feel he ruined his life and he's very young.  His family's and every one of ours. A lot of people have mental hurts from this that didn't have them before that weren't shot.  I don't hate him there's no.  I mainly feel sorry for him. I'm working toward saying I fully forgive him. I'm not there yet."

Ross Zimmerman, "well the young man has been diagnosed as schizophrenic.  Clearly, clearly badly disturbed.  He's a tortured human being who did something violent and insane and was obviously not in control of himself.  You can't be mad at sick child like that.  If one wants to be mad like others you should ask why one could walk into store and purchase a gun of horrible destructive power."

John & Roxanna Green, "Jen:  what happened to Christina and the other victims that day.  Has that changed the way that you see society or humanity?  John:  Roxanne and I have both talked about it.  It was a random act from somebody.  We don't really talk about him.  What we do is talk about our daughter.  This can happen to anybody. We're not angry at all.  It was a senseless act by a very, very sick individual and we don't waste any time thinking about that person. I feel sorry for him and his family and pray for him as well.  We're not angry.  We don't even think about it to tell you the truth."

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, "guy:  nothing like that ever before or since for you? Sheriff:  Not even close. Not only were six people killed and 13 shot and some of them very critically, but we've never had anything like that anywhere and for such a senseless reason by a person who has some significant, severe mental problems, probably should have been dealt with sooner.  No doubt in my mind that had those mental issues been dealt with they could have stabilized him and this would have never happened."

Col. Bill Badger, "Working to do something so this can never happen again."

Guy Atchley interviews Sheriff Clarence Dupnik.

sheriff Dupnik:  The bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous.And unfortunately Arizona has become the capitol.  We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry. the sheriff of Pima County has made a fool of himself, I don't know if he knows it or not. guy:  Well let's go back to that day on January 8th.  You obviously were stunned, in your own words shocked by this news as your driving back. You walked right into a news conference didn't you?  Sheriff:  Uh, after about an hour.  I didn't have much is except to get a briefing from people at the scene and go on to a national news conference.  Guy:  And you said some things that upset quite a few people. Sheriff: well those things were upsetting to me.  I believe then and still believe today.  Guy :  refresh our memories.  Well I made some statements about flame throwers. I don't think I used that word at that particular press conference. I did later about people who preach hatred, who preach, be suspicious about government, don't trust your elected officials, we gotta hate everybody is what some of these flame throwers like Rush Limbaugh are preaching and that affects a lot of people. Why would somebody like that be saying some these things if they weren't true.  It particularly always targeting public officials.  Elected officials especially, and when you look at this case there is no reasonable motive for what he did none.  But why did he pick on a Congress person and my feeling is that people who are in that frame of mind are very susceptible to things that they hear and see and for whatever reason I don't think we'll ever really know the truth because I don't think he knew the truth.  He decided to take out a Congresswoman and whole lot of other people as well. How has this changed you?  Sheriff:  I don't think it can help but change anybody."

One year later, how do January 8th victims move on ?

Mavy Stoddard & Guy Atchley, "guy: "How do you move on from here?  Mavy:  I  move on building myself a life."

Mr. Zimmerman: "I'm trying to do a better job of being a better person and frankly do some of the things that Gabe was so good at."

Suzi Hileman, "I've started a non for profit Grandparents and Residents and we are connecting people who have time with people who have need. We're doing some really wonderful things in the community."

Mavy Stoddard, "guy:  How do you move on from here?  Mavy:  I  move on building myself a life.  When something like that happens, any kind of a death, but especially a sudden death that part of your life the life you had is completely over and you're left without a world, because he was my world and I was his and that was very new to me.  You would have thought it gave me claustrophobia to be with a man that much, but we were each others best friends so we enjoyed it."

Dr. Peter Rhee, "Jen:  Did that day change you at all? Did it change who you are? How you practice or how you look at scenarios?  Dr. Rhee:  It didn't change me medically, but without a doubt it changed me professionally, personally.  You know I went to the white house for a dinner with my wife.  So those are things I would not have had an opportunity to do.  My professional got a big lift out of this. The guys in the military got some attention for a little bit.  The first responders got some attention that they deserved."

Ross Zimmerman, "guy:  I guess the only other question I have is how has this changed your life and how are you going to move on?  Ross: well I have at the low spots I kind of wish I didn't have to go on in this, as I said I have a have a daughter, a son.  We have reassured Kelly she is our daughter.  Ben has a life to lead and a girlfriend we have high hopes.  But I'm trying to do a better job of being a better person and frankly do some of the things that Gabe was so good at."

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, "Our people are going all over the country at the request of FEMA to show, make a presentation on how that particular scene was handled as an example, so that's one of the thing they can take away from it."

Joe Zamudio, "If there can be a good thing that came from it, it's that we as a community became closer."

Ron Barber, "I've been given a second chance at life and I'm not gonna squander it.  I'm just gonna do everything I can to thank this wonderful community ours as well as to continue to use the positive the energy that came to, to turn that horrific day into something good.  That's why we created the family fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding.  We think that people need a vehicle to make some changes that are positive."

Pam Simon, "guy:  As we look forward what are you gonna do with the rest of your life? Pam Simon: Ah, good question.   Um, well I think that obviously I will greet the rest of my life with great gratitude."

Ron Barber, "They built incredible memorial in three locations.  They sang outside of UMC, they read poems, they've just been an amazing support to all of us and that's been instrumental in our healing I know."

Thousands of Tucson-ans immediately set up temporary memorial.  They set up memorials at the Safeway, in front of Congresswoman Giffords' office, all to show support.

Our own Guy Atchley took his own pictures.

A more permanent memorial will involve community input.  From everyone here at KGUN 9 News thank you for watching this special presentation of "January 8th: 1 Year Later."

A more permanent memorial will involve community input.