Latest Mass Shooting: Arizona Rampage Leaves Multiple People Injured Or Worse

Impact

At least three people have been injured in what appears to be a shooting at an office complex in Phoenix, Arizona. Emergency responders were seen entering the complex 10:30 am local time. It was reported that one person was taken out on a stretcher. One witness said he heard about a half dozen gunshots and saw two people lying on the ground toward the rear of the building. 

The shooting occurred mere hours after U.S. Senate hearing on gun control — an issue that has come to the fore of the national political discussion in the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. That shooting left 26 people dead, including 20 children, all aged seven or eight. 

During the Senate hearing, former Arizona congresswoman and gun violence victim Gabby Giffords spoke in favor of stronger gun control. In January 2011, Giffords was shot in the head during a shooting spree by Jared Lee Loughner, who killed six people at a meet-and-greet held by Giffords in Tucson. The victims included a federal judge and a nine-year old girl. 

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre also testified, and is strongly opposed to strict gun control measures, including expanded background checks. In December, LaPierre shocked many by giving a speech the week after the Sandy Hook shooting, in which he blamed video games, violent movies, and other media for the pervasive culture of gun violence in the U.S.