National/World

Tucson marks shooting anniversary

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Tom LaCorte, right, and his wife Ana LaCorte, of Tucson, Ariz., with their son Tommy LaCorte, all pause for a moment as they look at a makeshift memorial at a Safeway grocery store, opened for the first time since a mass shooting of 19 people that left six dead the previous Saturday, on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011, in Tucson, Ariz. One of the injured gunshot victims was Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who is still in critical condition, was one of 19 victims shot on Saturday. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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shooting, arizona, rep. gabrielle giffords, national/world

Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - January 8, 2013 (WPVI) -- Residents of Tucson, Ariz., today have marked the second anniversary of the shootings that left six people dead and 12 others injured, including congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Bells rang at 10:11 a.m., the moment a gunman opened fire on Giffords as she met with constituents two years ago. The city's mayor today rang a bell at a fire station, once for each of the victims.

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Giffords and her husband today launched a political action committee aimed at curbing gun violence. They say their initiative will help raise money to support gun control efforts.

Also today, two politicians at the opposite ends of the gun debate held competing weapons-buy-back events outside a police station in Tucson. A city councilman asked people to turn in their guns for a $50 gift certificate from Safeway. That's the grocery store chain that owned the market that was the scene of the shooting.

In response, a Republican state senator who is a gun-rights advocate positioned himself outside the same police station and offered cash for guns. Several people waved signs and held up money to approaching drivers to announce that they were willing to buy their guns.