sábado, 8 de janeiro de 2011

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik: "Not convinced" gunman acted alone

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says he is "not convinced" that the gunman in today's shooting spree acted alone.

According to Sheriff Dupnik, at about 10:10am Saturday, the gunman approached and opened fire. Congresswoman Giffords was the first person shot. She was hit in the head one time. Congresswoman Giffords is alive and the surgeon in charge is "cautiously optimistic" that she will survive. Sheriff Dupnik said a semi-automatic pistol was used and a total of 19 people were shot. Six people were killed. Sheriff Dupnik said two of the victims were personal friends. All six victims have been identified. Pima County officials are working to notify the next of kin.

Sheriff Dupnik also confirmed that two individuals at this crime scene tackled the suspect. He said there is reason to believe that the gunman came to the location with another individual. Dupnik told reporters his office has pictures of a "person of interest" in this case. He also said the 22-year old in custody had a criminal background, but did not offer much other information based on the advise of legal counsel. The suspect is in the custody of the Pima County Sheriff's department.

"All I can tell you is that this individual may have a mental issue, and that people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol," said Dupnik.

Congresswoman Giffords is in critical condition. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona said surgeons took care of her to the best of their ability. He echoed comments made Saturday by doctors who said they are "cautiously optimistic" about her recovery.

"Make no mistake...She could need more surgery. There are a lot of complications that occur with something like this. We are all hoping for the best for her. Having taken care of a lot of people like this before I know how difficult a path to recovery is," said Dr. Carmona.

Dupnik described the tragic event as a day of "personal sadness for all of us in the room." He went on to say he "hoped all Americans are as saddened and as shocked as we are. I hope that most of them are as angry as I am. I think it's time as a country that we do a little soul searching. Because the vitriolic rhetoric that we hear from people in the radio business and from some of those in the TV business...this is not the nice United States that we grew up with."

Dupnik went on to say that "pretty soon we are not going to be able to find willing decent people to subject themselves, to serve in public office."

 


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