Loughner indicted on 49 counts in shooting that wounded Rep. Giffords

A federal grand jury on Friday handed down a 49-count indictment against Jared Lee Loughner, the man suspected in January’s Arizona shooting spree that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). 

The indictment includes new charges against the 22-year-old Loughner. 

The grand jury’s new, superseding indictment covers all 19 people killed or wounded during the shooting on Jan. 8 in Tucson. 

Originally, it was thought that federal prosecutors would only pursue charges against Loughner dealing with the alleged murder or wounding of federal employees during the shooting spree. A federal judge and a staffer to Giffords were killed in the attack. 

{mosads}According to the Department of Justice, Loughner faces the additional counts, “for causing the death of participants at a federally provided activity.”

“This was an attack on Congresswoman Giffords, her constituents, and her staff,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke in a release. “Those citizens who were peaceably assembled to speak to their member of Congress are also named victims in this indictment. This indictment involves potential death-penalty charges, and department rules require us to pursue a deliberate and thorough process. That process is ongoing, and we will continue to work diligently to see that justice is done.”

Loughner had been charged in January with three counts of attempted murder, but Friday’s indictment is much more expansive.

The Arizona Republic reported that the new counts were brought under a federal law that is usually applied to hate crimes, but which can be applied to any person, “participating in or enjoying any benefit, service, privilege, program, facility, or activity provided or administered by the United States.” It is being applied in this case to Giffords’s meet-and-greet event outside a Tucson supermarket. The law protects people attending such an event against injury, intimidation or interference, or an attempt to do so, federal prosecutors are arguing.

The new indictment includes: attempted assassination of a member of Congress, three counts of attempted murder of a federal employee, two counts of murder of a federal employee, five counts of causing death to participants at a federally provided activity and 10 counts of injuring participants at a federally provided activity. 

Loughner is accused of killing Judge John Roll and Giffords staffer Gabe Zimmermann. Giffords aides Ron Barber and Pam Simon were also injured.

Loughner pleaded not guilty to the initial three charges, which are included in the new indictment. The Department of Justice announced that Loughner will be arraigned on the new charges on March 9 in a Tucson federal court. The suspect has remained in federal custody ever since the day of the shooting.

Meanwhile, Giffords, who was critically injured by a bullet to the head, continues her recovery at TIRR Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital in Houston.

The Pima County Attorney’s Office intends to pursue all state charges against Loughner, according to the Department of Justice.