BREAKING NEWS: Arizona Democrat Rep Gabrielle Giffords Shot, Sarah Palin gives statement

Arizona Democrat Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head today by a gunman who has not yet been identified. At this hour details are unclear as to whether Giffords is dead, but at least one Giffords staffer was killed. Giffords was shot first by the gunman. Giffords was hosting a "Congress on Your Corner" event at Safeway in northwest Tucson which allows her constituents to present their concerns to her when the gunman rushed up to her and opened fire, according to NPR.

Apparently the young suspect attempted to run but was apprehended, and is currently in custody. Giffords was taken to University Medical Center in Tucson.

Giffords was elected to represent Arizona's 8th District in 2006, and was one of three directly targeted by vandals last March who targeted Democrats in advance of the US House vote on the controversial health care legislation.

Sarah Palin issued a statement at 2:59 EST, after taking down the following from her website showing gunsight targets on various states she considered a problem:

This was soon taken down after news of Gifford's shooting, and the following statement released by Palin:

On the tragedy in Arizona

- Sarah Palin

by Sarah Palin on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 2:02pm

On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice."

My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona.

It is unclear at this time what Giffords' condition is.

Dakota O'Leary

Dakota O'Leary is a freethinker, and often sassy, scholar of theology and literature. She got her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Theology from the State University of New York College at Buffalo, and her Master of Arts degree in Theology and Literature from Antioch University-Midwest. She is a contributing writer focusing on eschatology, biblical prophecy, and general religious news. Dakota is a co-host of the God Discussion radio show, offering insight to the news stories of the week. We like to call her "our in-house Biblical prophecy expert" as her articles on eschatology have received over 200,000 views on God Discussion.

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