Reaction to Congresswoman Giffords shooting

Earlier this morning, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Tuscon, was shot at a meet-and-greet event in front of a Safeway in Arizona. Six people were killed in the shooting including a federal judge and a 9-year-old child, and 12 others were wounded. Several members of Congress including President Obama have released statements on the shooting.


Here's U.S. Sen. Mark Udall's reaction to the grave incident.

"This is a sad day for our country.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's senseless shootings. Congresswoman Giffords is a brilliant and dedicated public servant who works tirelessly for the people of her district.  I'm privileged to serve with her in the U.S. Congress and I'm honored to call her my friend.  Today's shootings, during a meeting between Rep. Giffords and her neighbors, were a cowardly attack on our democracy."

U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Golden, has not come out with an official statement, although his communications director, Leslie Oliver, said this:

"Ed is pretty shaken. He's in shock, numb and angry that someone shot his friend."

Perlmutter is known for his "Goverment in the Grocery" meetings here the 7th Congressional District. 
Oliver said meet-and-greet events like those are a public service that are provided for constituents and the community. "It's about being accessible and available to your community," Perlmutter told Oliver. "It's unconscionable that someone would do this sort of thing."

Read CNN's coverage of the event here:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/08/arizona.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1