Christina Green

Dorothy Morris

Dorwin Stoddard

Gabe Zimmerman

Judge John Roll

Phyllis Schneck

(Photos from the New York Times website)

Ron Barber reacts after opening a gift from his granddaughter while in the ICU at University Medical Center on Monday, January 10, 2011.

This Morning the family of Ron Barber released the following statement:

12 January 2011

My name is Jenny Douglas.  I am Ron Barber’s daughter. Behind me are my mom Nancy Barber, sister Crissi Blake, my husband Gawain Douglas and my brother-in-law Jason Blake.  I have a statement I would like to read on behalf of my family.

We would like to let you all know that my dad, Ron Barber, is doing well after his second surgery yesterday morning. He has been very alert since coming out of his 6-hour surgery on Saturday. He was able to see his four grandchildren on Monday, which gave him great pleasure. We expect him to be released from the ICU on Thursday.

On behalf of my Dad and the rest of our family, we would like to give our heartfelt thanks to our extended family, friends and the community as a whole for the overwhelming support we have received.

Specifically, we would like to thank all the UMC staff, doctors, nurses and patient care technicians who have been lovingly caring for Dad and our family these past days. The level of care, compassion and professionalism is truly exceptional. We would also like to thank the Tucson Police Department, Sheriff’s department and FBI.

We would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families who lost love ones on Saturday. Dad is so deeply saddened by the loss of his friend and fellow staff member Gabe Zimmerman and his long time friend Chief Judge John Roll.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the other victims and their families during their recovery.

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Daniel Hernandez whose clear thinking and actions in the midst of chaos undoubtedly helped save Congresswoman Gifford’s life. We would also like to personally thank Anna Ballis who applied pressure to Dad’s wounds until paramedics arrived. We are greatly indebted to her.

My Dad has worked in the public sector for this community for almost 40 years. He was with the Division of Developmental Disabilities for 34 years, most of that time as the director for Southern Arizona. He retired in 2006 and began volunteering immediately with Gabby’s campaign where he was the community outreach director. After her successful election Gabby appointed him as her district director. We knew he worked tirelessly to give a voice for those who often were not heard in his career with DDD. It was hard to imagine that he could actually work even more in his “new” career with Gabby, but somehow he does. With such a long career of public service in this community he has touched many lives — and now we are hearing from many of you who know him well and some of you who just knew of him. He has friends across the political spectrum and, like his boss, he just wants to do what is best for the people of our community. That is what drew him to Gabby and that is what binds them.

Throughout this ordeal Dad’s singular focus has been on the wellbeing of Gabby and he asks that we all continue to pray for her recovery and her family.

Thank you for your outpouring of support for all of the victims of this senseless tragedy. Gabrielle’s doctors continue to be optimistic about her recovery.

Gabrielle’s husband, U.S. Navy Captain Mark Kelly, has not left her side since she arrived at the hospital. Below are photos of Mark at Gabrielle’s bedside in University Medical Center on Sunday, January 9th.

In lieu of flowers, Mark asks that you contribute to one of Gabrielle’s favorite charities in Southern Arizona: The Red Cross or the Community Food Bank.

If you would like to send well-wishes to Gabrielle, Mark, or any of the victims of this tragedy or their families, please email them to giffordswellwishes@gmail.com or share them on our facebook page.

Thank your for the generous thoughts, prayers and condolences you have offered to everyone suffering as a result of this tragedy. The outpouring of support from Southern Arizona and the nation has been overwhelming.  We especially appreciate the great work of the first responders at the scene, personnel at University Medical Center, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the entire Arizona law enforcement community.

News and Updates

Click here for the most up to date recent news and updates, including a statement from Gabrielle’s husband, U.S. Navy Captain Mark Kelly.

Tribute to Gabe Zimmerman

On Saturday, January 8th, 14 individuals, including Gabrielle, were wounded and six were killed by a senseless act of violence. One of those who tragically lost his life on Saturday was our beloved friend and colleague Gabe Zimmerman. Gabe lived his life with a determined, intentional kindness that touched all who knew him. Click here to learn more about Gabe’s incredible work for the Southern Arizona community. (Resource page about Gabe)

Grief Counseling

Grief for our friends, our colleagues and our community is natural. If you would like to talk with someone about your experience, you can call the 24-hour free community hotline at 1-866-342-6892 or click here for more information about critical incident stress.

Contact Us

WELL WISHES. We are collecting well wishes for Rep. Giffords and all of the families impacted by this tragedy at . Note that our office will not be accepting any hand-delivered packages at this time.

MEDIA INQUIRIES. All media inquiries must be emailed to . Please include the name of your media outlet, your contact information including email and phone number and your deadline.

There is no way to make sense of this act of violence. Your courage over the past days has been immense.

Remember that grief for our friends, our colleagues and our community is natural. If you would like to talk with someone about your experience, there are a number of resources available to you:

A 24-hour free community hotline for those in need of counseling
1-866-342-6892

A link to a list of Pima County community mental health resources

A guide to critical incident stress: symptoms, treatment and coping with crisis induced Stress.

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Critical Incident Stress

Tragedies, traumatic deaths, serious injuries, life-threatening situations — these events are known as critical incidents. Stress is the natural and normal physical reaction we experience in response to the demands placed upon the body by an emotional or mental stimulus — what is often referred to as a stressor. Many of us deal with the day-to-day stressors in our life without much difficulty and without experiencing any extreme physical or emotional reactions.

Occasionally, however, a critical incident impacts us to the point that we feel overwhelmed by the situation or the event. During such periods of intense, traumatic stress there is a wide range of emotional and physical reactions which we may experience as part of the normal stress response of adjusting to the intense feelings and other reactions in the aftermath of the event.

The list below details some of those signs and symptoms. As you read through the remainder of this information, please remember that these stress reactions are normal responses to abnormal situations and, while more intense initially, they tend to lessen over time. In addition to the information on these “Common Reactions to Critical Incidents,” we are also providing you with a list of “Things to Try” as well as some tips “For Family and Friends” that may help you through the process.

COMMON REACTIONS TO A CRITICAL INCIDENT

PHYSICAL* COGNITIVE/THOUGHTS

*any of these symptoms may indicate the need for medical evaluation. When in doubt, contact a physician.

• Nausea/Diarrhea
• Shallow breathing
• Twitches/Tremors
• Dizziness/Faintness
• Chills/Sweating
• Easily startled/Jittery
• Fatigue
• Changes in appetite
• Sleep disturbances and nightmares
• Headaches
• Grinding teeth
• Feeling uncoordinated
• Weakness/Chest pain
• Elevated BP
• Visual difficulties
• Confusion
• Nightmares
• Uncertainty
• Suspiciousness
• Intrusive images
• Blaming someone
• Flashbacks
• Preoccupation with the event
• Overly sensitive/critical
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Short attention span
• Memory problems
• Disorientation of time, place or person
• Difficulty identifying objects or people
• Increased or decreased awareness of surroundings

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL

• Fear
• Anxiety
• Guilt
• Panic
• Denial
• Agitation
• Irritability
• Depression
• Intense anger
• Apprehension
• Self-doubt
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Emotional outbursts, loss of control
• Inappropriate emotional responses
• Social withdrawal/Silence
• Inability to rest
• Hyper-alert to environment, hypervigilence
• Suspiciousness
• Intensified pacing
• Loss of emotional control
• Changes in typical behavior
• Avoiding thoughts, feelings or situations related to the event
• Change in speech patterns
• Loss or increase of appetite
• Change in usual communication
• Change in sexual function
• Increased consumption of alcohol

THINGS TO TRY

• Schedule physical exercise, alternated with relaxation. This will help alleviate some of the physical reactions.
• Structure your time — keep busy.
• Know you are normal and having normal reactions – don’t label yourself crazy or weak.
• Be aware of numbing the pain with overuse of alcohol or other drugs
• Talk with people you trust. Reach out — people do care and talk is the most healing medicine.
• Don’t be afraid to set limits with others when you don’t feel like talking. You don’t have to discuss the incident or your feelings when you don’t want to.
• Maintain as normal a schedule as possible.
• Spend time with others.
• Help your co-workers as much as possible by sharing feelings and checking out how they are doing.
• Give yourself permission to feel rotten and share your feelings with others.
• Keep a journal; write down your thoughts and reactions
• Do things that feel good to you (take a mini-break, garden, go to the movies, read, take a long, hot shower, etc.).
• Realize those around you are under stress.
• Don’t make any big life changes or major life decisions at this time.
• Do make as many daily decisions as possible which will give you a feeling of control over your life, i.e., if someone asks you what you want to eat, answer them even if  you’re not sure.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Recurring thoughts, dreams or flashbacks are normal — don’t try to fight them — they’ll decrease over time and become less painful.
• Eat well-balanced and regular meals.
• Ask for help if you need it. If you are having trouble coping on your own, help is available from many sources — co-workers, church, friends, family, and other community resources can be valuable sources of support.

FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

• Listen carefully.
• Spend time with the traumatized person.
• Offer your assistance and a listening ear, even if they have not asked for help.
• Reassure them that they are safe.
• Help them with everyday tasks like cleaning, cooking, caring for the family, minding the children.
• Give them some private time.
• Don’t take their anger or other feelings personally.
• Don’t tell them that they are “lucky it wasn’t worse” — traumatized people are not consoled by those statements. Instead, tell them that you are sorry such an event has occurred and you want to understand and assist them.
• Remember that everyone deals with grief, trauma, and stress in their own way.

(Materials adapted from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation sources: www.icisf.org)

On Saturday, January 8th, 14 individuals, including Rep. Giffords, were wounded and six were killed by a senseless act of violence. One of those who tragically lost his life on Saturday was our friend and colleague Gabe Zimmerman. Gabe lived his life with a determined, intentional kindness that touched all who knew him.

Aide Had Gift for Working with People

by Tony Davis
Arizona Daily Star
January 9th, 2010

Gabe Zimmerman organized the event in Tucson on Saturday where he was shot to death.

As Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ community outreach director, Zimmerman was a key organizer for all the “Congresswoman on the Corner” events over the years that were aimed at bringing his boss closer to constituents. This work was a natural fit, said friends and fellow politicos, who described Zimmerman as a tireless organizer and gentle man uniquely gifted at working with average folk.

“He was at Gabrielle’s side at these ‘Congresswoman on the Corner’ events,” recalled a longtime colleague, Tom Zoellner, an author and a volunteer in Giffords’ campaigns. “He would take down their names and their information, and he would pledge to get to work on it. This stuff matters. The ‘Congresswoman on the Corner’ thing was Gabrielle’s idea, but it was Gabe’s bailiwick.”

Zimmerman, 30 and a Tucson native, worked for Giffords since her first congressional campaign in 2006. He started as a field organizer, became constituent services director when Giffords took office and later took on outreach duties. That job put him in charge of logistics for all of Giffords’ public district events. He helped constituents with day-to-day details such as Social Security checks.

“He would go out of his way to help people in trouble,” recalled Daniel Graver, who hired Zimmerman in 2006 and worked 18 months for Giffords as a legislative assistant. “People would come into the congressional office, he would listen to them and give them money for a cab home. Some days during a campaign I would harass him to take a weekend off from his job to work on the campaign. He said to me that if I didn’t work, people wouldn’t make phone calls but if he didn’t work, people didn’t eat.”

From childhood, Zimmerman had a real gift for working with people, said his father, Ross Zimmerman, a senior network organizer at Pima Community College. Gabe’s work fit his schooling: a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a master’s of social work at Arizona State University, Gabe’s father said.

He was engaged to Kelly O’Brien, a Yuma native and a Tucson Medical Center nurse, Ross Zimmerman said.

He was an avid runner and athlete, who twice hiked the Grand Canyon from the North to the South Rim.

Last August, he was one of eight people who ran to the top of “A” Mountain to celebrate Tucson’s birthday, recalled a friend, Ward 1 City Council aide Diana Rhoades, who described Zimmerman as “wonderful with constituents, energetic, enthusiastic and full of life.”

Zimmerman is also survived by his mother, Emily Nottingham, a retired city of Tucson community services administrator, and a brother, Ben Zimmerman, a master’s degree student in business and finance at Brandeis University.

“On behalf of Gabby and our entire family, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Arizona and this great nation for their unbelievable outpouring of support. Gabby was doing what she loved most – hearing from her constituents – when this tragedy occurred. Serving Southern Arizonans is her passion, and nothing makes her more proud than representing them in Congress.

“Like all Americans, we mourn the loss of Gabe Zimmerman, a fine man and beloved member of Gabby’s team, Judge John M. Roll, Christina Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwan Stoddard. We must never forget them, and our prayers are with their families. Our hearts go out to everyone injured yesterday; we hope and pray for their quick recovery. We also extend our thanks and appreciation to all of the first responders, medical personnel, law enforcement, and Arizona citizens who acted swiftly yesterday and continue to assist our community through this tragedy. Many stories of heroism are emerging, and they are a source of strength for us during this difficult time. We are forever grateful.

“Many of you have offered help. There is little that we can do but pray for those who are struggling. If you are inspired to make a positive gesture, consider two organizations that Gabby has long valued and supported: Tucson’s Community Food Bank and the American Red Cross.”

Community Food Bank
3003 South Country Club Road # 221
Tucson, AZ 85713-4084
(520) 622-0525

American Red Cross, Southern Arizona Chapter
2916 East Broadway Boulevard
Tucson, AZ 85716
(520) 318-6740

Andrea Kelly

Arizona Daily Star

November 5th, 2010

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will continue to represent Southern Arizona in Congress after new voter totals showed her lead over Republican Jesse Kelly continuing to hold.

After the Pima County elections office released the results of some 14,000 early ballots, Giffords expanded her earlier 3,000-vote lead to more than 3,800 votes.

The remaining early ballots in Cochise County split nearly equally between the two candidates.
Surrounded by about 50 enthusiastic supporters at her campaign office, a visibly relieved and excited Giffords declared victory about 90 minutes after the results posted.

While complimenting Kelly’s supporters on their passion and patriotism, Giffords thanked her own volunteers, and attributed her success to Democrats, Republicans and independents pulling together. She said that’s going to be increasingly important with the immense challenges continuing to face the district and the country.

“I’m not elated to be in the minority,” she said in a reference to Republicans taking control of the House, “but my job isn’t to be in the majority. It’s to do the work and I’m looking foward to doing that starting next week.”

She pledged to continue to work on securing the border, strengthening Social Security and public education, and helping Arizona tap into emerging jobs in new technologies.

Kelly could not be reached for comment but released a statement. “I would like to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Aubrey, who has been by my side this entire time, my family, for their unwavering support, and the thousands of warriors who fought with me in this campaign,” he said.

“While we fell short here in District 8, Tuesday was a resounding victory for America,” he said, saying he is proud of the campaign he waged. “We are blessed by God to live in a nation where we get the government we deserve and the government that we chose. The voters of Southern Arizona have spoken and I respect their decision.”

There will be no more ballots counted until Monday, said Elections Director Brad Nelson.

He estimated there are roughly 3,000 early ballots left to count, along with potentially 13,000 provisional ballots, which are those that need verification of identification or registration. With provisionals trickling in over the weekend — the recorder’s office turned over about 600 Friday night — Nelson said he’ll wait to run a larger batch.