this and the bullet went right above my ears across here. >> reporter: the gunman was turning to patricia maisch. >> i was really expecting to be shot and just then the gun fire stopped and two men jumped on him. >> reporter: one of those men was colonel badger, wounded and bleeding. >> i got him by the throat, the other guys got his knee on the back of his neck. >> reporter: the gunman was down but trying to reload his 9 millimeter handgun. >> so i grabbed the magazine before he could and held on it to. >> reporter: joe zamudio was buying a pack of cigarettes nearby when the first shots were fired. >> i go out the doors and there's a man that says "shooter, get down." >> reporter: you heard the shots and went running toward the shots. >> i know. that's pretty crazy, huh? >> reporter: he helped hold the struggling gunman but there were other heroes before the shooting stopped. 76-year-old dorwin stoddard died trying to shield his wife mavy. representative gifford's life may have been saved by daniel hernandez who used his high school training in emergency medicine to slow her bleeding. >> my fir

joining us from the university of medical center in tucson retired army colonel bill badger and patricia maisch. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> patricia beginning with you the word hero as we said is thrown around a lot these days. when someone calls you a hero, what goes through your mind? >> it goes through my mind that bill and roger are super heroes if i'm a hero. my son tells me that i should just say thank you. that the community needs heroes right now. so, i'm trying to be a little more accepting of the title. >> i understand. bill, what do you think when people call you a hero? >> well, i -- i think exactly the same thing as patricia just said. that, you know, we need to be concentrating on congresswoman gabrielle giffords right now and when she was able to sit up in bed yesterday and move her feet, that was a tremendous thing. and that's what i think we need to be concentrated on right now. >> of course, very good news to hear. patricia, take me back to last saturday. a lot of people would have frozen if they had been in the position you were in. what

we are grateful for petite patricia maisch who wrestled away the killer's ammunition and undoubtedly saves some lives. >> and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and first responders who worked wonders to heal those who have been hurt. we are grateful to them.

to reload. [ applause ] they're right over there. [ applause ] >> we are grateful for petite patricia maisch who wrestled away the killer's ammunition and undoubtedly saved some lives. [ applause ] >> and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses, the first responders who worked wonders to heal those who had been hurt. we are grateful to them. [ applause ]

her congress on the corner was to be a rational exchange among reasonable people like supporter patricia maisch. >> that was one of the things i wanted to talk to gabby about, it's a very sad time in our country. >> but that saturday morning last week, a taxicab pulled into this safeway parking lot carrying a man with a twisted view. >> a kind of shady-looking gentleman came up and before i knew, he was barging through the tables in front of the congresswoman. >> a man who seemed to be at war with normal. >> i looked over, and it was just bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. >> the guy had a semiautomatic pistol. he just went in and started firing and then ran. >> we heard people yelling, get the gun. there he is. >> is anybody injured? did you say gabrielle giffords was hit? >> she's hit. >> i was about three feet from her. i was lucky enough not to be in the line of fire. i was shaken to my core. >> we need more than one ambulance. there's more than one person down. >> i saw a man with a gun shoot her in the head and then ntinueiring point blank at everybody who was in the area and there was r

cheers and applause ) they're right over there. ( cheers and applause ) we are grateful for petite patricia maisch, who wrestled away the killer's ammunition, and undoubtedly saved some liv lives. ( cheers and applause ) and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and first responders who worked wonders to heal those who had been hurt. we are grateful for them.

. >> as you heard there, patricia maisch helped stop the violence by grabbing that magazine from the shooter while he was trying to reload. at the same time witnesses say several men jumped on the shooter and threw him to the ground. >>> late this afternoon senator dianne feinstein joined the legions of politicians weighing in on yesterday's shooting. she said, "i've seen firsthand the effects of assassination, and there's no place for this kind of violence in our political discourse. it must be universally condemned. my thoughts and prayers are with representative giffords and her family, the family of judge roll, and all the other victims and their loved ones." also feinstein mentioned that as many will recall she was at the center of the chaos and made the announcement when mayor george moscone and harvey milk were assassinated 32 years ago. >> both mayor moscone and supervisor harvey milk have been shot and killed. >> that was november 27th, 1978. and it was feinstein, then president of the board of supervisors, who heard the shots and discovered milk's body. >>> san francisco's

. >> reporter: patricia maisch, 61 years old, disarmed him. >> they said, get the magazine, so i got magazine and was able to secure that. >> reporter: and the terror of that moment, how could you do that? >> because that's what needed to be done. >> reporter: science tells us most heroes are afraid but they have the unique ability to react, to not be perilized by their fear. just like those who ran into the towers, who leapt into the floodwaters, who used whatever they had to do what they could when it counted. >> it's almost like flowers blooming out of carnage. we want to believe that that represents, even if it's a one or two individuals who acted heroically, that that represents the real american tradition. >> reporter: wide-eyed interns and white-haired retirees, reluctant heroes. >> i think that's enough. i'm really not a press hog. >> reporter: but heroes nonetheless. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> and now the vigil under way in tucson, as we wish you a good night. >>> tonight a promise of no more smoke and mirrors. the governor's plan to balance the budget, what it m

. >> reporter: patricia maisch knocked the magazine from the gunman's hand. colonel badger tackled the gunman. >> and yet you're uncomfortable with the idea of having the hero label attached to you? >> this is the hero. if i'm a hero, he's a super hero. >> you gave the shooter a black eye, didn't you? >> he was saying ow, ow, ow, and i, of course, i didn't know roger before this happened, but i said, roger, let up a little bit, and roger said, i don't care. >> reporter: lynn rich, the gunman's neighbor, speaking for the first time. >> i wish that i would have had more courage to have said more to his parents. >> reporter: one of the things that struck me, you spoke of the music. you said there was once beautiful music coming from that house. >> yes, there was. jared played in a jazz band. and i just loved sitting in my house listening to that music come out of the house. and something changed. >> reporter: and when you asked the family, what was the answer? >> there was no answer. i was just glared at and turned a back on. >> reporter: there were so many in t

[applause] [applause] we are grateful for petit patricia maisch who wrestled away that killers ammunitionbtedly saved some lives. [cheers and applause] >> and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses. and the first responders to worked wonders to deal -- heal those that had been heard. -- hurt. we are grateful to them. [applause] these men and women remind us that her wisdom -- heroism is not only found on the fields of battle. heroism does not require special training or physical strength. heroism is here. in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens just waiting to be summoned. as it was on saturday morning. their actions, their selflessness poses a challenge to each of us. it raises the question of what, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. how can we honor the fallen? how can we be true to their memory? you see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations. to try to have some order on the chaos to make sense out of that which seems senseless. already, we have seen the national conversation commenced. not

we are grateful for petite patricia maisch, who wrestled away the killer's ammunition, and undoubtedly saved some lives. ( cheers and applause ) and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and first responders who worked wonders to heal those who had been hurt. >> rose: the president did not point the finger at anyone. >> none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. none of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped these shots from being fired. or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent ma man's mind. yes, we have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. we cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. we should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future. ( cheers and applause ) but what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. ( cheers and applause ) that we cannot do. that we cannot do. as we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility roorn pointing fingers or assigning blame. let's use thi

. >> we are grateful for petite patricia maisch, who wrestled away the killer's ammunition and undoubtedlyed some lives. >> i think it's something anybody in my place would have done. i was there and i did the job. >> reporter: tucson's heroes echo remarkable cases in the place, where ordinary people, untrained and with very much to lose, made an instant decision, with potentially life of death con consequences. in panama city, florida, just last month, a gunman held a school board hostage and seemed ready to shoot them at point blank range. he freed all the female members, including ginger littleton, but she came back, wielding her purse to try to hit the gun out of his hand. >> i have three wonderful daughters, and they said, mom, are you just stupid? what were you thinking? >> reporter: in long beach, california, last june, richard kemp jumped an armed robber from behind at his bank and wrestled him to the ground. wesley autry was on this new york subway station platform in 2007 when a young man, having a seizure, fell onto the tracks. wesley jumped down to help and covered the man with

others restraining him, patricia maisch sprang into action. >> he was pulling a magazine out of his pantsocket with his left hand, and i was able to grab the magazine. >> reporter: and then there's the story of dorwin stoddard. this man in an act of courage and love pulled his wife down, jumped on top of her and died as a result. >> when he pulled her down he fell on top of her. she thought her legs were hurting because he was kneeling on them. she didn't realize she was shot and then realized he got shot. she said he saved her life. he fell on top of her. >> reporter: as for congresswoman gabrielle giffords, her doctors are sounding increasingly optimistic, although cautiously so, pointing out that she is responding to simple commands making a peace sign when her husband mark asked her to hold up two fingers. >> this is about as good as it's going to get. >> today, the alleged shooter jared lee loughner will be arraigned in a federal court in phoenix. according to the local sheriff here in tucson there's a reason that he will be 'ranged in phoenix. and that is because all of the judges h

[applause] [applause] we are grateful for petit patricia maisch who wrestled away that killers ammunitionbtedly saved some lives. [cheers and applause] >> and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses. and the first responders to worked wonders to deal -- heal those that had been heard. -- hurt. we are grateful to them. [applause] these men and women remind us that her wisdom -- heroism is not only found on the fields of battle. heroism does not require special training or physical strength. heroism is here. in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens just waiting to be summoned. as it was on saturday morning. their actions, their selflessness poses a challenge to each of us. it raises the question of what, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. how can we honor the fallen? how can we be true to their memory? you see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations. to try to have some order on the chaos to make sense out of that which seems senseless. already, we have seen the national conversation commenced. not

and several individuals including patricia maisch, army colonel bill badger, retired, was also wounded in the shooting. roger salzeberger, joseph saddam dough, daniel hernandez jr. and steven rail helped apprehend the gunman, risking their lives for the safety of others. some of the actions took place during this tragedy have been carried extensively in the media. the reaction of the people of tucson, arizona, to this tragedy has been incredibly uplifting and encouraging to all of us. there are so many stories of courage and bravery associated with this action, the quick reaction of our police and other first responders was remarkable, not to mention the incredible and extremely rapid care provided by the doctors and nurses and caregivers in tucson. so in this great tragedy that has taken place, we can again be comforted with the knowledge that our citizens reacted in the way that americans do, with heroism, with courage and with sacrifice. so, i think it is entirely appropriate that this resolution be passed as one of the first acts of the new congress of the 112th congress of the uni

[applause] [applause] we are grateful for petit patricia maisch who wrestled away that killers ammunition and undoubtedly saved some lives. [cheers and applause] >> and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses. and the first responders to worked wonders to deal -- heal those that had been heard. -- hurt. we are grateful to them. [applause] these men and women remind us that her wisdom -- heroism is not only found on the fields of battle. heroism does not require special training or physical strength. heroism is here. in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens just waiting to be summoned. as it was on saturday morning. their actions, their selflessness poses a challenge to each of us. it raises the question of what, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. how can we honor the fallen? how can we be true to their memory? you see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations. to try to have some order on the chaos to make sense out of that which seems senseless. already, we have seen the national conversation comm

[applause] [applause] we are grateful for petit patricia maisch who wrestled away that killers ammunitionbtedly saved some lives. [cheers and applause] >> and we are grateful for the doctors and nurses. and the first responders to worked wonders to deal -- heal those that had been heard. -- hurt. we are grateful to them. [applause] these men and women remind us that her wisdom -- heroism is not only found on the fields of battle. heroism does not require special training or physical strength. heroism is here. in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens just waiting to be summoned. as it was on saturday morning. their actions, their selflessness poses a challenge to each of us. it raises the question of what, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. how can we honor the fallen? how can we be true to their memory? you see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations. to try to have some order on the chaos to make sense out of that which seems senseless. already, we have seen the national conversation commenced. not

he stayed with her even after emergency personnel arrived. 61-year-old patricia maisch grabbed the magazine that the gunman was hoping to reload in his weapon. steve rail, a doctor and former emergency room physician, helped subdue the gunman until law enforcement arrived and he helped care for the injured. as the gubman tried to reload his weapon, roger salzebeger helped to tackle the shooter and mother ran from a nearby store when he heard the shots being fired and helped subdue the gunman, again until law enforcement officers arrived. we're obviously grateful for these acts of bravery. we're proud of the people i've mentioned but also all of the emergency workers who quickly arrived on the scene and provided life-saving aid and comfort to the injured in the very crucial moments following the attack. and i must mention also the incredible work of professionals, surgeons and other highly skilled personnel at university medical center. we're proud of that facility in southern arizona, and they certainly showed their competence in dealing with all of the wounded and some who died. it's now b