Former Representative Gabrielle Giffords Visits Newtown, Conn

By Eric Brown | January 04 2013 6:16 PM

Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who was shot in the head during a 2011 assassination attempt, has made a visit to Newtown, Conn., the site of the Sandy Hood Elementary School shooting last month.

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Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and her husband Mark Kelly visit Newtown, Conn., on Friday.

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Giffords has no plans to make a public speech in Connecticut, but was rather on a private visit to the town, according to the Hartford Courant's Jenny Wilson, who described it via Twitter.

This week, Giffords met with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to discuss gun control, as reported by NBC News. Bloomberg is a strong advocate of gun control, and firearms are strictly regulated in his city.

On Jan. 8, 2011, Giffords was shot in the head during an assassination attempt and mass shooting outside a Safeway supermarket in Casas Adobes, Ariz. Giffords was visiting the Tucson suburb to connect with her constituents.

During the public appearance, a gunman opened fire on the crowd gathered to see Giffords. Six people were killed, while Giffords and 12 others were wounded.

Amazingly, a bullet passed through the less critical areas of Giffords’ brain, and she was able to make a strong recovery. Giffords is still undergoing rehabilitation. In January of last year, she formally resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives to focus full time on her recovery.

Since the shooting, Giffords has made several public appearances. They include her leading the Democratic National Convention in recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in September.

The day of the school shooting in Newtown, Giffords’ husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, made a statement, available via Facebook, expressing his sympathy for the victims and their families. Kelly also called for stronger gun control across the country.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the entire community of Newtown, CT,” Kelly wrote. “I just spoke to Gabby, and she sends her prayers from Tucson. As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right. This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws -- and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait.”