Arizona shooting suspect appears in court

The bloody rampage — at an event Giffords hosted for constituents — has fueled debate about whether heated rhetoric seen in recent political campaigns can lead to violence.

President Barack Obama,who stressed unity after the shootings,plans to go to Arizona on Wednesday to attend a memorial service for the dead,who included a federal judge,a 9-year-old girl and one of Giffords’ young aides.

Last year,Giffords had warned that angry campaign talk had prompted violent threats against her and vandalism at her office.

A police mug shot taken of Loughner after his arrest and released on Monday shows the accused killer,who faces a possible death sentence,smiling broadly.

At his court appearance,Loughner’s lawyer waived a detention hearing. Federal Magistrate Judge Lawrence Anderson ordered Loughner held,calling him a danger to the community.

The judge scheduled a January 24 preliminary hearing.

Having survived a shot to the head at point-blank range,Giffords,a popular 40-year-old Democrat,remained in critical condition at a Tucson hospital.

Doctors said there was no increased swelling of her brain and she continued to respond to simple commands such as squeezing a finger and wiggling her toes.

“There have been no complications,” Dr. Peter Rhee of University Medical Center in Tucson told the PBS program “Newshour.” “We’re happy with where we are. But we have to give her some time to see how she’s going to do.”

A single bullet passed through her brain on the left side,hitting an area that controls speech. The extent of brain damage she may have suffered is uncertain,doctors said.

At the White House,Obama mourned the dead.

“THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS”

“Right now the main thing we’re doing is to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who’ve been impacted,making sure that we’re joining together and pulling together as a country,” Obama said.