During President’s visit, Tucson begins healing process

The World

After a shooting spree over the weekend that left six people dead and a U.S. Congresswoman in critical condition, President Barack Obama flew to Tucson, Arizona on Wednesday to offer his condolences to the community. Obama spoke last night at service titled, “Together We Thrive: Tucson and America.” Despite the occasion for grief, many at the rally seemed energized, in part by the news that during the president’s visit to her hospital bed, Rep. Giffords (D-Ariz.) opened her eyes for the first time since the attack. It was estimated that more than 14,000 people were in attendance.

Earlier in the week, more than 1,000 mourners attended St. Odilia Catholic Church to pay tribute to Christina Taylor Green, the 9-year-old girl who was shot and killed.

We talk with Christopher “Buzz” Conover, local reporter at KUAT Public Radio who is covering the memorial services. He’s spoken with local members of the community about how they are coping during this time of crisis.

Dr. Robert Shelton, president of the University of Arizona explains how he believes the community will recover from this tragedy.

Will you support The World today?

The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!