Tucson memorial service begins

 A woman pauses on Wednesday at a makeshift memorial set up outside the University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz., for the victims of the Jan. 8 shooting. The shooting left six dead and 14 wounded, including U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

 

A memorial service for the victims of the mass shooting that left six people dead and 14 injured began Wednesday night following the arrival of U.S. President Barack Obama.

Obama will speak at the memorial, held at an arena, in honour of the victims who were shot on Jan. 8 at a community outreach event hosted by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at a Tucson grocery story.

Before the ceremony, the president and his wife, Michelle, visited privately at University Medical Center with Giffords and other victims. He was then meeting with family members of those killed before speaking at a nighttime memorial service in Tucson.

Obama was also accompanied on Air Force One by a bipartisan delegation of lawmakers.

In another development, a doctor said Giffords is now less sedated and more responsive than she had been.

Dr. Peter Rhee, the trauma chief at University Medical Center, said Giffords's condition remains stable and she has not had any setbacks.

Suspect was stopped

More details also emerged Wednesday of the alleged gunman's actions on the day of the shooting. Authorities said Jared Loughner, 22, was pulled over for running a red light less than three hours before the shooting.

A wildlife officer with the Arizona Game and Fish Department pulled Loughner over and took his driver's licence and vehicle registration information. The officer let Loughner go after finding no outstanding warrants for him or his vehicle.

"He had a valid licence, the car was registered, he had insurance," department spokesman Jim Paxon said.

"He was warned and released because we had no probable cause to hold, or do an extensive search," he said.

Loughner is being held without bail in a Phoenix jail. He is charged with one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and two counts of attempting to kill a federal employee. State charges have not been filed yet.

With files from The Associated Press

Source: CBCNews