good morning. tragedy in tucson. six dead, at least 13 wounded. a congresswoman fights for her life. a nation struggles for answers. why did this happen? this morning, new information on the victims, the suspect, and why police want to find this man. today's sunday january 9th, man. today's sunday january 9th, 2011 captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good morning everyone, welcome to a special split edition. i'm lester holt in tucson. >> and i'm jenna wolfe inside studio 1a. details i understand are city emerges there this morning. >> a lot being sorted out this morning, jenna. it all happened at this shopping center,y congresswoman gabrielle giffords was hosting a sidewalk gathering. a gunman opened up. six people were killed, among them a 9-year-old girl and a federal district judge. congresswoman giffords was shot in the head. she remains in critical condition this morning, but doctors say they are hopeful. meanwhile, authorities have one suspect in custody. his name is jared loughner. at this hour, officials are hunting for someone who they think may have been associated with the suspect.

there's a picture they're hoping someone will recognize and call with information. coming up, we're going to get the latest from here in arizona. we'll have a conversation with two people who helped subdue the shooter until police arrived. and we'll also take a closer look at some of the victims, including the youngest, a 9-year-old girl born on the day of the 9/11 attacks she had just been elected to the school council, and went to see the congresswoman because she was interested in government. a sad story there. miguel almaguer joins me. >> reporter: at least six people are dead, another 13 injured. the fbi and sheriff's department is conducting a joint investigation. this morning they believe they have the gunman in custody, though as you mentioned they are looking for another suspect. they say the congresswoman was the target.

panic and chaos outside a sub b suburban grocery store. saturday just after 10:00, a gunman began his rampage. congresswoman giffords was meeting with her constituents. the gunman turned the pistol on a crowd. >> there were eight pops that set off really quickly. next thing we knew there was a frenzy of people. >> i saw a man lying on the ground. all i heard was, get down residence witnesses say bodies were scattered everywhere. some survivors drove themselves to the hospital. several victims are in critical condition. congresswoman giffords was able to communicate with her doctors. >> she was shot through and through on one side of her head. >> jared lee loughner, a 22-year-old with a criminal history is the suspect. police say they may have an accomplice and are now looking for this man for questioning.

>> we're not convinced that he acted alone. there's some reason to believe that he came to this location with another individual. >> reporter: investigators are looking goo youtube and myspace accounts reportedly registered in loughner's names, but the online rants make little sense. >> he probably would have shot other people had he not been tackled by two people. >> reporter: investigators locked off his neighborhood just minutes from the crime scene. >> creepy to know that he lives so close to me and he wants to shoot somebody. >> reporter: though police believe the congresswoman was targeted, the other victims seem random. among the dead a judge, a 30-year-old aide to giffords who was engaged. and a 9-year-old girl the youngest victim. >> obviously our hearts go out to the family members of those who have been slain.

>> reporter: reelected to her third term in november, she met with the public on a regular basis. shortly before she was shot she tweeted -- please stop by to let me know what's on your mind. outside the hospital saturday night, tears and a tribute. >> you cannot kill hope with a bullet. >> reporter: a community prayed together for the survivors and also remembering the dead. >> on saturday doctors said they were optimistic about the congresswoman's recovery. we hope to have an update on that later today. even's late as yesterday, there was a scare outside her office. there was a suspicious package there, about you it was not a threat. eventually jared loughner was subdued by people in the crowd. one joe zemudio, and dr. steven lair. good morning to both of you. thanks for coming on with up.

doctor, first explain you were in the crowd to see the congresswoman. you saw the shooter? >> i saw the shooter. there wasn't much of a crowd. there was nothing in front of the table. i had arrived, walked in front of the table, took a look at congressman giffords, and then continued to proceed around to the side of the table. she was there wearing a red blazer, talking to a couple. there was another two people behind the table. >> you saw loughner. what did he do? i looked up just as he was shooting her. then without hesitating he continued to spray the people close by with bullets. there was really no place for them to do. it was kind of a constricted area. >> joe, you were nearby. when did you decide to step into action? >> as soon as i heard the repeated fire, like you said, where he was dumping bullets, i just started running. i didn't even think about it. i rounded the corner, went down the breezeway, and i saw them

already in contact with him wrestling with him. >> doctor, you were also wrestling with him trying to get him down. was she saying anything? >> i did not hear anything except maybe you're hurting my arm. >> had he been disarmed by the point you two were on the top of them. >> when i made contact they already had the firearm out of his hands. >> when he was shooting, was it clear he was aiming for the congresswoman initially? >> yeah, she was the first target, but he did not hesitate. he continued at close range, point-blank range just to shoot bullets into people. >> how did you stay safe? >> well, initially after the sort of sudden shock of it, instanceiusly, i then ducked behind a concrete pillar. as he moves around that pillar, i laid on the ground, i sensed he was coming around, so i laid on the ground as if i had been shot. >> joe, when you were running up, how did you stay out of harm's way?

>> like i said, the shots had been fired when i rounded the corner. i was -- there was no more real danger for me. i didn't know until later that he still had a knife on him. we came -- i just came running up. i carry a firearm, so i wasn't really afraid. >> and dr. rail, you are a former emergency room physician. >> correct. >> i understand it took several minutes for ems to get here. what did you do in the meantime? >> in the meantime, i checked on some of the people, i assisted in cpr. there was another colleague of mine who was attending to patients, dr. david bouman, and i took a look at congresswoman giffords. she was conscious and moving. i mean, she wasn't communicating at all. she was halfway sitting up. one of his staffers had his arm around her. she had a lot of blood on her face and what looked like an entrance wound on the left side of her forehead.

>> thank you for sharing your stories. be appreciate it. jenna, back to you in new york. this all unfolded in a gathering hosted by giffords. president obama called her an extraordinary public servant, someone who is warm and caring. for more now, we're joined by kelly o'donnell on capitol hill. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jenna. the first thing to know about gabrielle giffords is how well liked she is, regardless of political party. respected for her political skill and personal warmth. jenna, as a reporter, i can tell you she's always been very approachable. her public life began about ten years ago and she just started her third term in dong. >> the first amendment, congress shall may no law respecting an establishment of religion. >> reporter: when the constitution was recited on the house floor thursday, gabrielle giffords read a telling portion. >> or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and

petition the government for redress of grievances. >> reporter: voter outrage and grievances have sadly been pardon of her public life. >> does she represent your values? >> reporter: last march vandals damaged her tucson district office after the health care reform vote. giffords talked about that on msnbc. >> reporter: are you afraid? are you fearful today? >> you know, i'm not. we have had hundreds and hundreds of protesters over the course of the last several months. >> reporter: but giffords was concerned about heated campaign rhetoric. from the tea party. >> we're on sarah palin's targeted list, but the thing is the way they have it depicted is the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. there are consequences to that action. >> reporter: sirra palin was among dozens who offered condolences. we pray for peace and justice. the president called giffords

his friend. >> she is not only an extraordinary public servant, but also somebody who is warm and caring. she is well liked by her colleagues, and well liked by her constituents. >> reporter: arizona senator john mccain, traveling in south america, said the gunman is a wicked person. >> the shooting of congresswoman giffords, and the death of other individuals, is a terrible tragedy and one that has shocked me and our nation. >> reporter: 40 years old, married to shuttle astronaut and navy captain mark kelly, who is set to command the final shuttle mission in april. >> we need you to help us get out the vote for tuesday. >> reporter: giffords' november victory was a nail-biter. giffords earned a graduate degree from cornel, ran the family's automotive business

before serving four years as an arizona state lawmaker where she became friends with governor brewer. >> i am just heartbroken. gabby is more than just a colleague. she's actually a friend. >> reporter: she earned a full-ride scholarship, on issues she was strongly in support of additional forces along her border. >> kelly, thank you. once again, here's lester. jenna, thanks. congresswoman giffords miraculously survived, but tragically as we reported, six people died. for more on those whose lives were lost, kristin welker joins us from outside the university medical center. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, lester. while ten people are still recovers here at the university medical center, including congresswoman giffords, but this is the same spot where dozens

came to mourn and pay respects to those who were lost overnight. ♪ lead me on to the light >> reporter: an outpouring of grief from a community torn apart, their tears and prayers for the ones they lost in saturday's tragedy, members of their tucson family gone, but not forgotten. >> among them were a federal judge, john roll, who has served america's legal system for almost 40 years. and a young girl, who was barely 9 years old. >> reporter: the judge was 63-year-old john roll, dheef judge for the united states district court for arizona. he had stopped by congresswoman giffords ease event just to say hello. >> we brought numerous cases in front of judge roll. he was a very fair and honest, often humorous judge. >> reporter: his other titles, father of three, grandfather of five, and friend to many.

>> i've never met a more sincere, fair-minded, brilliant federal judge or any judge for that matter in my whole life. >> reporter: just 9 years old, christina taylor green was the youngest victim. >> she was a beautiful strong little girl. >> reporter: loved ones say the third grader had gone to the event to learn more about the political process. her birth date may have fueled her civic passion. she was born in 9/11, and featured in a book of babies born on the same day. >> she came in on a tragedy and now she's gone out on a tragedy. the nine years in between were very special. >> an impromptu vigil was also held for gabriel zimmerman. >> it was like no, no, hoping it wasn't true. >> the 30-year-old was recently engaged.

♪ got shed his grace on thee >> reporter: songs of resilience filled the air by night, a community forever changed. ♪ from sea to shining sea >> reporter: those three who were also lost are dorothy marchie, dorwin stoddard and fill is schneck. five are in serious condition, and we are expecting the medical officials here to update us on their recovery process in the next few hours. lester? >> kristin welker, thanks very much. once again here's jenna. this morning 22 years old jared lee loughner is in police custody. many questions remain unanswered. pete williams joins us from washington with more on the investigation. good morning, pete. >> good morning. we may learn more today about one avenue of inquiry. that is whether he acted alone, or whether someone else knew

what he was planning to do, but based on the suspect's recent internet writings, a picture is emerging of an emotionally disturbed young man. the man accused of firing the shots is a college dropout rejected by the u.s. military. law enforcement officials say he's jared lee loughner, age 22, who grew up in tucson and went to public schools there. two years ago military officials say he applied to enlist in the army, what was found ton unqualified. for what reason they won't say, but in a series of rambling writings, he offers a tortured world view. the county sheriff says he's mentally imbalanced. >> i have no reason to believe that the person was sane. was he unstable? i would agree. >> reporter: the internet postings say the government is in brain control and brainwashing by controlling the grammar. and he says every police officer

in the u.s. is operating unconstitutionally. >> we've got a very challenged individual who has issues concerning government and probably conspiracies, which suggests paranoia on his part. >> reporter: but there's nothing in these writings about current political issues about the fight over health care. he makes no reference tofully officeholder, including representative giffords, a friend from high school says loughner asked the congresswoman a question when she visited tucson three years ago, then complained she couldn't answer it. >> he asked her a question, which made absolutely no sense to me, i can't even recall it today, but he said she didn't understand it, i don't understand what it is about politicians, they don't get it. >> a former classmate at pima community college, he often interrupted a class with nonsensical outbursts. another friend says that loughner called friday night after being you've contact since last spring and left a voice message.

hey, it's jarred, we had some good times together. see you soon. a pima college spokesman says loughner quit school after he was suspended for posting a disturbing video on the internet. the spokesman could not recall whether it was threatening. then early saturday morning he wrote -- good-bye, please don't be mad at me. investigators say he had only a minor scrape with the law before this, a drug charge that was dropped and there's no report of so as far as of him having threatened members of congress. we'll have much more from tucson right after these messages. jenna? >> all right, pete williams. pete, thank you. we'll have muc from tucson right after these messages. ♪ j-e-l-l-o ♪ j-e-l-l-o ♪ j-e-l-l-o [ child giggles ]

ti he was poking around, he found the spots, and he said, "are those spots sensitive?" he recommended that e i noticed it was working when i was drinking cold things and i wasn't even thinking about it. i never thought a toothpaste could fix that problem. first we want to talk about the big storm that's going to pound the east. jenna, it's starting out in texas this morning, with heavy rain and thunderstorms around the houston and corpus christi area. north of that in the colder air, dallas has rain for now, but it will change over to snow and ice for you later. we're expecting the tricky we are to extend from dallas, in the next 24 hours. snow and ice accumulations will ca here's a look at the weather around the bay area.

we'll see low clouds and fog and drizzle for the morning. hour by hour through lunch time, clearing on the coast and parts of the south bay. the north and east bay valleys stuck with low clouds and highs in the 40s today. now the weather should stay mainly dry, probably frost for tomorrow morning and then into tuesday and wednesday, a chance of showers, rain mainly off and on for the north bay as we wrap up the week and head into the upcoming weekend. ay, it's dry, maybe snow by the middle of the week. now here's jenna. jenna, thanks, and we're back after these messages. now here's jenna. >> janice, thanks. and we're back after these messages.

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good morning. take a live look at the garcia-cann golden gate bridge this morning. fog. low clouds. rob mayeda has a look at the forecast this morning. >> the fog machine turned on. woke up to a lot of low clouds, misty clouds in san row moan as i drove down into san jose. san jose right now we have low clouds, 44 degrees. another chilly morning around the bay area and we'll also see those temperatures eventually i think climbing into the 50s for most spots today. expected to be a mainly rain-free day if you just cancel out the mist we have of the low clouds which you can see offshore we have the system

there that will bring a chance of showers come tuesday. hour by hour, some areas of drizzle with the low clouds, then just like yesterday along the coast, we should see some clearing, so santa cruz, the south coast again today the warmest temperatures around the bay area, mid 50s there, 40s inland across the east bay hills and north bay valley. tomorrow morning, could have patchy frost and then a chance of showers tuesday, on and off chances of rain across the north bay for the second half of the week coming up. >> thank you very much. this morning san jose police say two men are dead after a shooting outside a night club. it happened about 8:30 last night at the club on 13th street near highway 101. when police arrived they found the men's lifeless bodies along with a third man who was also shot. he is undergoing surgery at a hospital and is expected to survive. investigators are looking for three or four suspects and are still trying to figure out a motive in this case. last night's homicides were the third and fourth for san jose in this new year.

in oakland this morning a neighborhood is trying to make sense of the killing of a child in broad daylight. oakland police say they found the boy's body around 5:00 last night after they were called to a shooting at 66th and avanol avenues. police won't say how old the boy is but say they are looking for a male suspect, not giving us more specific information on this one. no one is under arrest in connection with this deadly shooting. it was the second fatal shooting of the night. a man was gunned down in a neighborhood market in the 1500 block of campbell street around 7:30. tomorrow six of the suspects accused in a brutal gang rape will answer to the charges in court. five of those six are eligible for the death penalty if they are convicted. the sixth defendant faces a maximum of eight years in prison. police say the suspects beat and gang raped a 16-year-old girl outside the richmond high school home coming dance in october of 2009. officers say more than a dozen people stood by and watched the attack without reporting it.

that is not a chargeable crime. coming up at 7:00 on "today in the bay" -- we'll bring you the latest overnight developments in the arizona shooting rampage and why some say inflammatory language on sarah palin's website could have put a target on the congresswoman. that and all the day's top stories coming up at 7:00 right now here's more of the today show.

we're back on this sunday morning, january 19, 2011, with a special split edition of "today" inside studio 1-a. i'm jenna wolfe. >> and i'm lester holt reporting live in tucson, arizona. i'm at the scene of the deadly shooting rampage that's rattled not only this community but the entire nation. and, jenna, we should note as you look across the parking lot behind me there is not only a police investigation, the fbi obviously is heavily involved here. at this hour, we know that six are confirmed dead. at least 13 others are injured including arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords. police have one suspect in custody. he is identified as 22-year-old

jared lee loughner. we're going to get more insight on who he is when i talk live with a former classmate of his. but police say they are still searching for another man they say may have been associated with loughner. there is a picture of him. coming up, we'll speak live to the mayor of tucson for the latest on that investigation and how his community is holding together less than 24 hours after this tragedy unfolded. jenna? >> meanwhile, here in new york, we'll have more on congresswoman giffords. she was shot once in the head. as of right now, she remains in critical condition after undergoing brain surgery last night. coming up, more on how she survived and her prospects for a recovery. lester? >> all right, jenna. we want to begin this half hour with more on 22-year-old jared lee loughner. he's now in custody. katie parker is a former classmate of his. good morning and thanks for joining us. >> good morning. thank you for having me. >> tell me what you know about him. you went to high school and college with him. describe him to me.

>> jared was a funny guy. he was very caring and political and he loved music. >> you say "political." was he outspoken in his political views and did anything strike you? >> i mean, he was outspoken, but nothing that would trigger or make me think of a trigger to make him do something that he did yesterday. >> did he talk about though anything regarding present anti-government views or any particular issue that's been on the front burner? >> not when i knew him, no. >> you want he was caring. a lot of people say he's been somewhat detached and a bit of a loner. did you detect any change in his personality? >> i personally haven't seen him in three years, but the last time i saw him, as i look back on it, he was getting a little

different. >> and when you have heard on the news yesterday that he was the suspect in this shooting, what was the first thing that went through your mind? describe your emotions and your feelings. >> i was in complete disbelief that someone that i knew personally could be capable of something so evil. >> and we have reported about some of his videos, the youtube postings, the myspace postings about some of his views about government. had you seen any of the social network products? >> i haven't, no. i haven't talked to him in three years. when i knew him, i mean, he -- he gave me his manifesto once, but that was the only thing to signal he was getting a little radical, but that's about it. >> did he ever talk about guns and to your knowledge did he have any weapons? >> not when i knew him, no, sir. >> all right. caitie parker, thank you for talking with us. we appreciate your time with us. we want to send it back to new york and get a check of the morning's headlines.

jeff rossen is at the newsdesk for us. good morning. ss >> good morning. >> president obama called the shooting a tragedy for the country. he's now sent the fbi director to the scene in arizona to head the investigation. nbc's mike viquera has more. mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the president learned of what he termed an unspeakable act minutes after the shooting in tucson, arizona, when the chief of homeland security and counter-terrorism at the white house, one of his top aides, john brennan, and the deputy chief of staff, jim mecina told him what happened. about a half hour later, he embarked on calls and had a meeting in the situation room with the homeland security secretary, the fbi director, his national security adviser and the attorney general. then he made a call to gabrielle giffords' husband, of course the u.s. navy captain and astronaut mark kelly. left a message for him. then called the arizona governor jan brewer. we heard a somber statement from her yesterday. she had served in the arizona

statehouse with gabrielle givers. she call giffords. he called leaders of congress and members of the arizona delegation. so a series of calls, a lot of concern. then the president appeared before cameras in the state dining room and had this to say. >> gabby was doing what she always does -- listening to the hopes and concernsf her neighbors. that is the essence of what our democracy is all about. >> reporter: and, as you mentioned, jeff, he has dispatched the fbi director robert mueller to arizona to help coordinate the law enforcement investigation there. the president saying they were going to get to the bottom of what happened yesterday in tucson. jeff? >> mike, thanks. want to turn now to other newsfollowing. news we are following. in baltimore, two people were killed overnight including a police officer at a nightclub shooting downtown. another officer and three women were hurt. the gunfire broke out at a fight outside club select. so far, no arrests.

this morning we have an update to a story we have been following closely on "today." police found the body of a missing las vegas dancer and now they have have charged her ex-boyfriend in the murder. debra flores-narvaez went missing she failed to show up for work last month. her ex-boyfriend, 32-year-old jason griffith is being held without bail. authorities say there could be more arrests coming. heavy snow causing problems in ohio. nearly a foot fell saturday causing whiteout conditions and as you can see, a mess on the roads. today, it's the deep south bracing for more ice and snow. finally last year's super bowl champs will watch the big game from -- home this year. a stunning upset. the seattle seahawks with their meager 7-9 record pulled off the unthinkable beating the new orleans saints 41-36. in another heart-stopper the new york jets beat the mighty indianapolis colts 17-16. talk about a nail-biter. it came down to a winning field goal to end the game.

congratulations to the winning teams. that's the news. now back to jenna. >> jeff, thank you very much. janice huff is on the plaza with another check of the weather. good morning. >> good morning, jenna. i braved the cold because we have a nice crowd of people that came out. they said -- see, like this woman. she's saying hi. say hi to everybody. >> hi, maddie. you're back in connecticut. it's grandma! >> grandma's here. >> and aunt marie. >> another grandma! >> okay. i think we covered it now. thanks for coming down. let's check the weather and see what's happening. it's a very chilly morning on the plaza. but some brave souls. watch out across the southern states, though. you have an ice and snowstorm brewing over eastern texas. right now there is rain and thunderstorms over southeast texas and southern louisiana. to the north you will see ice spreading from dallas all the way across the carolinas and georgia by tomorrow. places like atlanta and charlotte will see ice and snow, asheville, chattanooga, watch out back towards birmingham,

>> here's a look at the radar this morning. we've got some fog and mist underneath the low clouds in the bay area. the system spinning offshore is going to swing to the coast come tuesday. that will bring us a chance of showers and more opportunities for rain off and on. especially with the north bay later in the week. today starting off with low clouds, misty skies, some partial clearing heading into the afternoon, but cool temperatures inland. for the north and east bay valleys, 40s to 50s for highs. cool again, then towards the middle part of the week, showers, on and off rain north. and now here's jenna. >> janis, thanks. as we reported congresswoman gabrielle giffords is in critical condition after undergoing brain surgery last night. for more on her survival we turn to nbc chief medical correspondent dr. nancy snyderman. good morning. >> good morning. >> doctors say the congresswoman was shot through the brain. >> right. >> it's hard to believe she would survive that. how is that possible? >> most people don't survive it. a through and through of the brain, the mortality rate is at

least 90%. what's fortuitous in this situation is the bullet reportedly went through a part of the brain that didn't hit any spinal fluid, didn't hit any major arteries. reports are that it went through the temporal lobe. that means it went in just above her ear and out through the forehead. in here and out here. the reason that's important is because this area has to do with speech. and the frontal area has to do with organization, affect, how you present yourself to people. as a congresswoman who must think about what she's going to say, say it, organize those thoughts and then have a certain way of presenting, i mean, certainly if she makes it through the next 72 hours and survives, that's great. then it raises issues about quality of life and survival of those kinds of skills. speech and affect. >> are we fairly certain that because we know where the bullet went in and out, that's the kind of life she may have or the

damage that may have been done? >> those are certainly the things the doctors will be looking at. when you are shot in the brain, one of the first things people do is they start going through things. can you hear me? can you see me? can you follow my finger? squeeze. do you have sensation? all of those neurological things. when she comes into emergency, we know she went to the operating room and intensive care unit, she will very carrie be monitored for a couple things. one to make sure the brain doesn't swell. if it does the tender tissue pushes against the skull. that can cause further damage. and every hour, neurological checks to make sure neurologically she's remaining stable. once she gets through 72 hours, then there will be further evaluations for the damage that's done. the problem is not just the bullet going in. it's that there is a vibration effect from the bullet and so that can hurt surrounding brain tissue. then things like bleeding have to be carefully monitored.

the reason they have her in critical condition is because they are watching her so carefully for the next 72 hours. >> so she'll survive this, but we have to see how much damage was done? is that what you're saying? >> i think people are guardedly saying, yes, she'll survive. the fact that she's made it this far now and didn't die on the spot. as for prognosis, that's going to be hour to hour and day to day call. >> dr. snyderman, thank you. as always, thank you for your insight. now we'll head back out to arizona and lester. >> jenna, thanks. i'm joined by the mayor of tucson, arizona. may bob walkup. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> i wonder if you're hearing anything from the hospital, have any late word on the congresswoman's condition? >> yes. i have been up to the hospital. the information that we have is that she's in the same condition as she was yesterday.

we are still very guardedly optimistic. she is in recovery. this next 24 hours are very critical. i was able to talk to her husband. he is with her, by her side and there is no change. i think that's still good news for her. >> let me also ask you about the investigation itself. the sheriff noted that this alleged shooter may not have been alone. they are looking for another man. do you have any further update on that? >> no. other than that is the information that i have. there is a website that has a picture that has been released to the public. there is no doubt that this individual will be identified. i'm very confident, very quickly. the sheriff is very competent about what he does and his force is doing everything they can to really understand what happened.

>> mr. mayor, we saw the pain that was evident on the faces of people at the vigil last night. this community has obviously been heavily rocked by the tragedy. what are you telling the people of tucson about this? >> well, i tell you, i was here at midnight last night and there was a candlelight vigil -- maybe you can see it in the background. there were some 20 people. i talked to them and i think that what they are concerned about is what's happening throughout this community. the return of stability to the political process and the pain and suffering that people are going through, we have to come together as a community, as a city, as a state and as a country. i think that's what people are concerned about. maybe this is a tragic lesson that we are all trying to get our minds around. the return to civility is what people are praying for.

they are praying for the people who are fighting for their lives. >> you talk about the return to civility. the sheriff talked about rhetoric in this country, about prejudice and bigotry in this state. is there a risk that there is a jump to conclusion that this may be the act of simply a deranged or disturbed person and not truly an anti-political act? >> oh, absolutely. i think that we know something about the shooter and i think that is a very clear condition that he was in. but there still is concern about the last couple of years. again, the economy and people have been suffering in this country. we see signs of recovery. people going back to work. i think it all rolls into people are unhappy with their quality

of life and from a political standpoint, you know, our job is to look out for our people. that's what gabby is the best at, by the way. getting out with her people, having the curbside town halls, as she called them. she is a wonderful person and very charming and we love her dearly. we're praying for her, but civility is still a concern that we all politically have around here. and i think in this country. we've got to return to that. >> well, you are clearly tapping into a conversation that will be had a lot in the coming days after this tragedy. tucson mayor bob walkup. we appreciate you speaking to us this morning. thank you very much for your time, sir. >> you're very welcome. >> we're going to be back with more from arizona right after these messages. ur time, sir. >> you're very welcome. >> we're going to be back with more from arizona right after these messages. ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] got a cold? [ coughs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] confused what to get?

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we're back now with more from arizona. yesterday's shooting here in tucson happened not even 24 hours ago and for now, coping with the grief is all many can do. nbc's michelle franzen now on a community and a nation still searching for answers. ♪ i once was lost ♪ but now am found >> reporter: songs, somber solidarity and prayer as dozens gathered outside the hospital where representative gabrielle giffords fights to survive a gunshot wound to the head.

messages of hope. >> you cannot kill hope with a bullet. you cannot kill love with a bullet. >> reporter: along with mixed emotions of disbelief and grief. >> i'm horrified. >> reporter: the theme at several candlelight vigils held in arizona and on capitol hill. >> i'm disturbed, not just by violence, but by violent rhetoric and the lack of respect for our fellow citizens. >> reporter: the shootings outside this tucson grocery store just as giffords met with the residents she represents, rattling nerves and shattering another layer of security. >> i am just heartbroken. gabby is more than just a colleague. she is actually a friend. she has always been a noble public servant. >> reporter: and across the nation, shock a public servant could become a target of a violent attack. >> it is a tragedy for arizona and a tragedy for our entire country. >> reporter: the attack has

renewed a call to quell the heated rhetoric playing out across the reply political and social landscape. >> the dialogue has to be toned down. i think it's gotten out of hand. >> reporter: and now out of respect for those killed and injured, many from politicians -- >> democratic and republican goes out. this is about family. >> reporter: -- to everyday citizens are taking pause. ♪ was lost ♪ but now i see >> reporter: for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> and, jenna, i have covered more mass shootings than i even care to think about. in each case everyone says let's make sense of this and try to figure it out. sometimes you can't make sense of it because of the individuals involved. you add the political element here. it was a u.s. member of congress here. this has opened up many difficult questions people are wrestling with today. >> one of the questions is obviously when we talk not just about the violence but as we

heard in michelle's package, about the violent rhetoric as well, i think people will be looking closely now at things like this leading up to events as well. a very tough day all around. >> yeah. they will. that's why there is such a search for the alleged shooter's writings. trying to figure out if he had a political motive. right now it seems now to be largely anti-government rants and certainly no mention of the congresswoman. but the police, fbi now involved here. everyone trying to search the writings, get a better handle on what happened and why. >> yes. again, a very, very sad day. we'll be right back with much more of "today." but first, these messages. again, a very, very sad day. we'll be right back with much more of "today." but first, these messages.

the other big news of the morning, a major storm that's brewing in the south, threatening to bring what could be crippling amounts of snow and ice starting today. for more on that we turn to the weather channel's eric fisher in atlanta. doesn't look like the storm has hit you yet though. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jenna. hard to fathom what will happen here. we have blue sky overhead and it's cold. we fell into the teens last night. the storm is on the way. things are moving smoothly here at hartsfield-jackson in atlanta. the morning flights are fine. it's people getting home that will be the concern. snow should start to fall before midnight tonight. delta plans to cancel hundreds of flight. airtran, same story tonight into the day tomorrow. looks like 6:00 is the hour where most of the delays and cancellations are going to pick up. this storm is going to affect people from eastern texas to north carolina. if we see over six inches of snow which is possible it will be the third biggest storm in atlanta's history. jenna, back to you. >> all right. eric, thank you. we will be back right after these messages.

atlanta's history. jenna, back to you. >> all right. eric, thank you. we will be back right after these messages. d. there was a lot of information out there. but it was frustrating trying to get the answers i needed. then my company partnered with unitedhealthcare. they provided onsite screenings, healthy cooking tips. that's a recipe i'm keeping. ( announcer ) turning complex data into easy tools. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. nothing starts your day like honey roasted, honey bunches of oats. the perfect balance of crunchy flakes and clusters, with a kiss of golden honey. delicious. and the same calories per serving as special k original. so, try honey roasted, honey bunches of oats! heck try 'em all.

time now to check in on what's coming up this morning on "meet the press." david gregory is in washington. david, good morning. >> good morning. certainly more coverage on the shooting rampage in arizona. it grips the nation, leaves gabrielle giffords clinging to life this morning. we'll get the very latest. then five of representative giffords' colleagues in the house will join me to talk about her work and the tone of our current political climate. plus senator harry reid, all this morning on "meet the press." >> david, thanks. that will do it for us on this sunday morn. sunday morning. our thanks to jeff rossen and janice huff. >> and i will see you tonight on nbc "nightly news" for all of

today's developments from here in tucson, arizona. have a great day and thanks for tucson, arizona. have a great day and thanks for watching. captions by vitac www.vitac.com