In her first face-to-face confrontation with the man who shot her in the head at close range and killed six others in an Arizona shooting rampage last year, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords locked eyes with Jared Lee Loughner in an intense courtroom scene Thursday.
Loughner, 24, was sentenced to life in prison after killing six people, including a 9-year-old girl, and leaving 13 wounded in a parking lot attack in Tucson during a political rally on Jan. 8, 2011. Giffords, who struggles to walk and has been left partially blind with a paralyzed right arm, stared intently at Loughner while holding hands with her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, as he read an emotional statement to Loughner.
On Friday, Kelly spoke to Savannah Guthrie on TODAY about the emotional scene in a packed courtroom, where often the only sound that could be heard was the weeping of the surviving victims and the families of those murdered.
“It was the first time that she’d really ever seen him,’’ Kelly said. “Gabby’s eyes were locked on his the entire time as I read our statement. I kept looking, and his expression would change. He was paying attention to what we were saying. (He) wasn’t really happy at points. I almost felt like during that whole few minutes, that he and Gabby were having quite the staring contest.’’
The couple had specifically asked U.S. District Judge Larry Burns to be able to speak directly to Loughner, a decision that Giffords initially struggled with.
“Before (last month), she wasn’t really interested in attending, but about a month ago, she changed her mind and thought it would be a good idea to be there to get some sense of resolution to what happened,’’ Kelly said. “Inside the courtroom, it was pretty comfortable until the moment that he walked in, and then it was pretty intense to be sitting just probably about 30 feet from where Jared Loughner was.’’
Suspect's parents: We don't know why this happened
Kelly delivered a forceful statement that detailed the couple’s feelings toward Loughner.
“Mr. Loughner, you may have put a bullet through her head, but you haven't put a dent in her spirit and her commitment to make the world a better place,’’ Kelly said in the statement. “You have decades upon decades to contemplate what you did. But after today, after this moment, here and now, Gabby and I are done thinking about you.”
Loughner was expressionless as the verdict was read, and then passed his weeping parents in the courtroom with no visible emotion.
With the confrontation with Loughner now over, Giffords will return to her arduous recovery.
Watch archival video: Congresswoman was 'first target,' eyewitness says
“It’s a struggle every single day for her,’’ Kelly said. “It’s difficult for her to do almost anything that was easy before. She’s not at the point where she can even drive a car; that’s something that she’s looking forward to at some point. She’s generally in a good mood. She continues to work really hard in her recovery.’’
While Giffords has struggled to get more movement in her right arm and still walks with a limp, she continues to work hard to improve.
“The thing that we see that improves the most is her ability to communicate,’’ Kelly said. “It’s also the thing she works the hardest on. I don’t see changes over days or even over weeks now, but month to month she does improve, and I’m hopeful that’ll continue for years. Anecdotally, from people around the country that have similar injuries, this is something that typically, if you work hard, you’re going to improve for the rest of your life.’’
Watch video: Loughner pleads guilty in Tucson massacre
Giffords and Kelly are both gun owners, but believe something must be done about gun violence. Kelly ripped into elected officials in the couple’s statement, calling Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer one of the “feckless’’ state leaders who “look at gun violence, not as a problem to solve, but as the white elephant in the room to ignore."
Kelly told Guthrie he didn’t expect President Obama to immediately address the gun control issue at the beginning of his second term, but hopes something can be done about avoiding future tragedies.
“This is obviously a problem,’’ he said. “We’ve had gun violence that happens time and time again in this country. I think almost everybody would agree that we have a problem. We’ve got very smart people and we’ve got committed legislators that can work on the issue, and it should be worked on. I think repeatedly, we lost the opportunity and I hope somebody picks up that mantle and tries to do something about it.’’
Read, watch more: Archival video: Tucson mayor looks for 'return of civility'
Tucson shooter sentenced to life after Giffords, other victims confront him