Gabrielle Giffords is now safe­ly nestled inside a Texas Medical Center after making her trip from Arizona, where numerous well-wishers stood outside to cheer her on and put a smile on her face.

On Jan. 8, Giffords, a United States representative, was hold­ing a rally in front of an Arizona supermarket.

The typical American po­litical rally came to a screeching halt as 22 year-old Jared Lough­ner opened fire, killing six and wounding 12, including Gif­fords.

Gifford’s was listed in critical condition just hours after the shooting having undergone sur­gery for a single gunshot wound to the head.

Kriss Hollis, a senior general studies major from Rayville, has a heavy heart for not just Gif­fords, but everyone involved in the tragedy.

“It’s upsetting more attention is being paid to the congress­woman blinking her eyes than was being paid to the victims who actually died,” Hollis said.

Five people, including U.S. D i s t r i c t Court Chief Judge John Roll (Arizo­na) and Gabe Zimmerman, a member of Gifford’s staff, died at the scene.

The sixth victim was 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Alex Holland, a sophomore political science major from Las Vegas, can’t imagine how Green’s family must be feeling after this tragedy.

“The victim I felt most sor­ry for was Christine Taylor. I felt bad that she just went that day with her neighbor. All she wanted to do was see a congress­woman,” said Holland.

Loughner was armed with a 9mm Glock and outfitted with a 30-round magazine.

While Loughner was in the middle of his first round, two bystanders tackled him to the ground and disarmed him.

Since the shooting, gun sales, especially on guns like the one Loughner used, have jumped 60 percent in Arizona.

It was apparent that Lough­ner’s intended target was in fact the congresswoman.

According to friends of Loughner, he had an extreme dislike for Giffords, and con­tinually called her “fake.”

In 2007, during a campaign event, he asked her a question, and in his opinion, she did not answer the question to his sat­isfaction.

Since his arrest, sources close to Loughner describe him as “calm, detached and often smil­ing.”

Chiron Roberts, a senior graphic design major from Flo­wood, Miss., wonders if this sort of tragedy could have been pre­vented.

“ I believe it is a horrible event for the families, and I am pray­ing for them. I believe there are some preventive measures that can be taken but also believe that some people’s actions can­not be predicted.”

On Jan. 10, just two days after the attack, Loughner appeared in federal court and faced sever­al charges, including one count of attempted assassination of a Congress member.

He also faces two counts of killing an employee of the United States and two counts of intent to kill employees of the United States.

If convicted of murdering ei­ther (or both) federal employees, Loughner could be sentenced to death or life in prison.

Holland believes that Lough­ne deserves the death penalty.

“That’s the first thing I said when it happened and I still feel that way. I mean he’s smiling in all his mug shots. He is obvi­ously not sorry,” Holland said.

As for Giffords, her team of doctors plans for her to start therapy immediately.

Doctors say that her ability to move and communicate will help determine the extent of damage done by the gunshot to her head.

Giffords has not spoken yet, so it is unknown whether she will suffer permanent damage or not.