TUCSON, Ariz.?? Survivors of a deadly mass shooting that gravely wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Jan. 8 last year will join thousands of Tucson residents at emotional memorial events this weekend.
A gunman toting a semiautomatic pistol pumped bullet after bullet into a crowd gathered for a congressional outreach event outside a Tucson supermarket a year ago.
Six people were killed and 13 suffered bullet wounds. Giffords was shot through the head and is recovering.
"The closer we get to Sunday, the more emotional it gets," said Bill Badger, a retired Army colonel hailed as a hero for tackling accused gunman Jared Loughner as he attempted to reload.
"It's tough. I'll be glad when it's over," he added.
More than 30 memorial events were scheduled across the Tucson area over the weekend. They started early on Saturday with trail walks and a democracy festival to benefit a foundation named for slain Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman.
The festival drew roughly 50 students, politicians, and victims of the shooting to a decorated courtyard at Pima Community College, where Loughner attended class.
In the early morning chill, about two dozen people read portions of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Readers included former Giffords intern Daniel Hernandez Jr., who came to the congresswoman's aid immediately after she was shot, and Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild.
"For this, they're coming together," said Becky Harper of Tucson who attended the festival. Harper said she hoped the events will unify the grieving community.
"But you turn on the news, and people are still shooting each other," she said.
Giffords returned to Tucson on Friday from Houston to attend anniversary ceremonies.?
Her first stop was her office, where she participated in an emotional ceremony to honor Zimmerman. Her staff dedicated a life-size photo of Zimmerman and a memorial plaque that will greet visitors as they arrive. Her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, posted a photo of the couple on a visit Saturday morning to a trailhead outside Tucson named in honor of Zimmerman.
Giffords, who has been undergoing intensive therapy in Houston since she was shot, was to join a candlelight vigil at the University of Arizona on the evening of Jan. 8 with her husband.
"It's obviously going to be an emotional and difficult weekend," said Mark Kimble, Giffords' spokesman. He was standing near her at the Congress on Your Corner Event when she was shot.
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"I think very often about it on Saturday mornings, especially this time of year when the weather is similar. It reminds me of it," he said.
Bells to ring
Other commemorative events include plans to ring bells across the city on Sunday at 10:11 a.m., the time of the shooting, and an interfaith service at St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown Tucson.
The events culminate with the evening vigil at the University Mall, which is expected to draw thousands of residents in this town of 520,000 people.
Also taking part in the vigil will be Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, Rabbi Stephanie Aaron and Dr. Peter Rhee, chief of the division of trauma, critical care and emergency surgery at the University of Arizona Medical Center, who treated Giffords and others who were wounded.
Some survivors have chosen to talk about the traumatic events. But Navy veteran Eric Fuller, who was shot in the leg and back a year ago, said he preferred not to dwell on the tragedy.
"I don't want to go on Dr. Phil and tell him how long I cried after I got shot," Fuller told Reuters.
He said that he would attend events including the church service and candlelight vigil on Sunday evening.
Loughner, a 23-year-old college dropout, was arrested and charged with crimes including attempting to assassinate Giffords. He pleaded not guilty.
Found mentally unfit to stand trial, he is being treated in a federal prison hospital in Missouri.
This story includes information from Reuters and The Associated Press.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45911374/ns/us_news-life/
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