Doctors optimistic about shot US congresswoman

Doctors were cautiously optimistic on Sunday about the condition of US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords after a man shot her in the head and killed six people at a public event in Arizona. The rampage in Tucson on Saturday fuelled debate about extreme political rhetoric in America after an acrimonious campaign for congressional elections last November.
The suspect was in federal custody as investigators sought a motive and looked for a possible accomplice.
Doctors said Giffords, a 40-year-old Democratic lawmaker, was in critical condition but was able to follow simple commands, such as holding up two fingers when asked. A single bullet travelled the length of her brain on the left side. But given the devastating nature of the wound, doctors said they were uncertain about the extent of brain damage Giffords had suffered. The bullet hit an area of the brain that controls speech functions and the wound will lead to some degeneration of brain cells, they said.
The violence shocked politicians in Washington, where Congress postponed a vote on healthcare reform later this week. Some Democrats were quick to say a shrill climate of political vitriol might have played a role.
"We are in a dark place in this country right now and the atmospheric condition is toxic," Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver told NBC's "Meet the Press" program.
But Jon Kyl, a Republican senator from Arizona, cautioned against a "rush to speculate."
"We really don't know what motivated this young person, except to know he was very mentally unstable," Kyl said on the "Face the Nation" show on CBS.
The suspect, identified as Jared Lee Loughner, 22, opened fire with a semi-automatic pistol at point-blank range outside a supermarket, killing six people including US federal judge John Roll and a 9-year-old girl. Twelve people were wounded.
Arizona police released a photo of another man sought for questioning who was seen at the shopping center. He is white and thought to be 40 to 50 years old.
Gun violence is common in the United States but political shootings are rare.
Police seeking a motive for Saturday's rampage were looking at a rambling Internet manifesto left by Loughner or someone writing under that name. There was no coherent theme to the writing, which accused the government of mind control and demanded a new currency.
The US Army confirmed the suspect attempted to enlist in December 2008 but was rejected for unspecified reasons.
House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner ordered flags at the US Capitol in Washington lowered to half staff in memory of the victims. He said the incident was a reminder that public service comes with a risk.
"This inhuman act should not and will not deter us from our calling to represent our constituents and fulfil our oaths of office. No act, no matter how heinous, must be allowed to stop us from our duty," Boehner said.
In Tucson, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said the suspect "has kind of a troubled past and we're not convinced that he acted alone."
Dupnik said he believed Giffords was the intended target of the shooting. The suspect had made threats to kill in the past but not against the congresswoman, he said.
Lawmakers in Washington put off their agenda for this week, including a vote on the repeal of President Barack Obama's contentious healthcare overhaul.
The new Congress convened last week after the Nov. 2 elections in which the Republican Party won control of the House and reduced the Democratic majority in the Senate.