Gabby Giffords in Charlotte to attend Democratic convention

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) is in Charlotte, N.C., to attend the Democratic National Convention, a spokeswoman for the congresswoman confirmed Wednesday.

“Gabby is in Charlotte to attend the convention, and she is excited to be here,” said Giffords spokeswoman Hayley Zachary in an email. “She does not have a role in tonight’s convention schedule.”

{mosads}Giffords, who was targeted during a 2011 mass shooting outside a supermarket where she was holding a constituent event, retired earlier this year as she continued to recover from her injuries. Last month, she announced that she was returning home to Tucson, Ariz., after an extended stay at a rehab facility.

Six people died and 13 others, including Giffords, were injured in the shooting.

Roll Call reported Wednesday that Giffords would lead the Pledge of Allegiance for the convention’s Thursday night festivities. One of the few public events Giffords has participated in since the shooting was reciting the pledge at a vigil for the victims and surveyors of the shooting in Tucson.

Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren was first to report Giffords was in Charlotte for the convention.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Giffords was launching a political action committee. The group will be led by Giffords, her husband, Mark Kelly, former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson and former Clinton administration Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.

According to a release, the group will back Democratic candidates that “share Gabby and Mark’s vision of a better future for America.”