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Remembering the 20 Shot in Tucson; Mass Killing in Tucson; Husband Saves Wife during Tucson Shooting; Who is Jared Lee Loughner?

Aired January 09, 2011 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Remembering the 20 people shot in Tucson, Arizona. President Obama is calling for a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time tomorrow. That will be about 48 hours after a gunman opened fire at a meet-and-greet with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

In all, six people were killed. Giffords was the most critically injured of the 14 people wounded and she is the only one in intensive care right now. Doctors at the University Medical Center say she was shot through the left side of the brain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MICHAEL LEMOLE, CHIEF OF NEUROSURGEON, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: The things that are most concerning to us are if the bullet crosses from one hemisphere to the other -- one side to the other. If the bullet crosses through the geometric center of the brain.

And I'm happy to say those were not the case in this instance. And because of that Congresswoman Giffords is able to communicate with us this morning through the following of simple commands. And we're very encouraged by that.

We are still, still in critical condition. Brain swelling at any time can take a turn for the worst, but I am cautiously optimistic.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The suspected shooter was tackled by people at yesterday's political event and quickly arrested. Twenty-two-year-old Jared Lee Loughner is now in federal custody with the investigators continuing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: And given this tragedy all logical precautions are in place to best ensure the safety of other public officials. But I will say and I will emphasize there is no information at this time to suggest any specific threat remains.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Local and federal police in Tucson are paying attention now to a second person of interest possibly connected to the tragic set of events yesterday.

Let's get right to Tucson and national correspondent Susan Candiotti.

What more do we know about the second person who is being interviewed, right, not one taken into custody but instead being interviewed?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, actually new information that we've just received. Remember the last time we spoke we weren't sure if the person being interviewed was the same person that they released a security camera video of earlier this day.

We now know that it is and, according to our sources, that person has now been ruled out as a person of interest in the case. So, again, they located the man. They're not telling us who he is at this time. However, after talking with him, they decided that, in fact, he apparently has nothing at all to do with this case which they also had raised as a possibility.

That's why earlier today they said that they wanted to find him, to talk to the man, to find out since they had seen him in the store at around the same time as Mr. Loughner, the suspect in this case. They wanted to know whether there was any connection and now authorities say they're convinced that there is no connection -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: So no connection with that person but are investigators saying anything about whether they feel more certain now than ever whether Loughner acted alone or whether indeed there were more people potentially involved?

CANDIOTTI: Well, FBI Director Mueller was asked that question at the press conference and he said at this point we're not ruling anything out in this case. Their investigation is ongoing. But at this point it does not appear as though they have anyone specific in mind.

Believe me, they are crossing every T and dotting every I, as the saying goes, and they're looking into anyone with whom he made contact, anyone that he might have written to, communicated with who might possibly have any involvement. So, again, that's all part of the typical investigation that would be going on right now.

WHITFIELD: Susan Candiotti in Tucson, thanks so much for that update.

So during that horrible shooting rampage yesterday there were several acts of bravery in the crowd. One such act was performed by 76-year- old Dorwin Stoddard. Witnesses tell CNN that Stoddard tried to shield his wife during the incident. He was fatally shot in the head and fell onto his wife, Mary, who was shot three times in the leg but survived.

Stoddard's pastor, Reverend Mike Nowak, joins me now by phone from Tucson.

So, Pastor, give me an idea how Mary is doing as far as you know?

REV. MIKE NOWAK, VICTIM'S FRIEND: Her name is Mavy, M-A-V-Y.

WHITFIELD: Mavy.

NOWAK: Yes. And --

WHITFIELD: OK.

NOWAK: And she's doing fine because the gunshot wounds to her legs were through and through. She should be coming home sometime today if she's -- if her blood stables out. Her blood pressure.

WHITFIELD: And what you have known about her husband all these years, no surprise to you that he would carry out this act of bravery?

NOWAK: No, he was a kind of fellow that would step up and take charge of the situation. He knew what was going on, he knew there were gunshot wounds. He had no idea, according to Mavy, where they were coming from. But his quick thinking brought her down and him coincidentally on top of her may have saved her life but, unfortunately, lost his during the shooting.

WHITFIELD: What was your understanding as to why they were there? Were they just grocery shopping or were they there to support the congresswoman's event, the meet-and-greet that was taking place? What?

NOWAK: They had heard that she was going to meet-and-greet on that day. And they normally go out on Saturday for breakfast. They gad said, let's go talk to Gabrielle Giffords and after that we'll go have breakfast. So they were standing in line to meet her about eight people back when this melee took place.

WHITFIELD: How excited were they about this kind of meet-and-greet, that this was something that they felt like was part of their civic duty to do?

NOWAK: Well, I don't know how excited they were prior to that. But I do know that Mavy was impressed with Gabrielle Giffords and the things that she was trying to do for Tucson and for the border. And so she just wanted to go down and ask her a couple of questions of which I didn't know what they were, and to tell her that she was doing a great job as far as a woman taking on some of the issues in our community.

WHITFIELD: And so now how do you comfort Mavy Stoddard now with the passing of her husband?

NOWAK: Well, I haven't had a chance to see her other than -- right after the shooting. I got to see her. She's been in the hospital, she's been surrounded by her family. I haven't been able to get away because I've been standing in the gap, if you will, with all of the media.

But I hope to see her sometime this afternoon when everything settles down and I don't know how I'm going to comfort her. And that will happen when I see her. Maybe the emotions will take over. I just don't know right now.

WHITFIELD: Well, all the best to you and all the best to the Stoddard family, as well our condolences go out to Miss Stoddard.

Reverend Mike Nowak, thanks so much.

NOWAK: Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

WHITFIELD: Meantime, we are learning more about the suspect in this Tucson tragedy. Those details straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Right now we know far more about the victims of yesterday's shooting spree than the man actually accused of committing it, and with Jared Lee Loughner reportedly not cooperating with police, most of the information is coming from people who watched in horror as it happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX VILLEC, REP. GIFFORD'S FORMER INTERN: Kind of shady looking gentleman came up, asked if he could talk to the congresswoman so just like anybody else we directed him to the back of the line, came back about 30 seconds later and before I knew it, he was barging through the tables towards the congresswoman.

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Alex Villec didn't know that man's name at the time but he knows it now.

He was front and center with Jared Lee Loughner seconds before shots rang out in Tucson.

VILLEC: I was about three feet from her. I'm just lucky enough not to be in the line of fire.

WHITFIELD: Almost all of what we know so far about Jared Lee Loughner is provided by Loughner himself. Like many people of his generation, he maintained an active online presence.

On the social media site MySpace and YouTube and even after several readings of his writings it's difficult to pin down his attitude toward the government or his conclusions. He writes, quote, "The government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar." And, quote, "The majority of citizens in the United States of America have never read the United States of America Constitution. You don't have to accept the federalist laws."

Those were posted weeks ago. But just hours before he allegedly barged through the crowd toward Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Loughner published this on his MySpace page.

Quote, "Good-bye, friends. Dear, friends, please don't be mad at me. The literacy rate is below 5 percent. I haven't talked to one person who is literate." End quote. Shortly after the shooting a frustrated Pima County sheriff told reporters he has long sensed an extremist current running in his state.

SHERIFF CLARENCE W. DUPNIK, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: When you look at unbalanced people, how they are -- how they respond to the vitriol that come out of certain mouths about tearing down the government, the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous.

And, unfortunately, Arizona, I think, has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was the Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. We'll have much more from the NEWSROOM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Arizona doctors say it's an encouraging sign Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is able to communicate with them. She remains in critical condition after yesterday's shooting rampage that left six others dead. Formal charges meantime are expected to be filed today against the suspected gunman.

And residents in the south of this country are hunkering down and bracing for a major winter storm. Warnings and watches are in effect from Texas through the Carolinas. A mix of snow, sleet, and ice could create dangerous travel conditions and widespread power outages. Schools in several states have already canceled classes tomorrow.

And President Barack Obama and other world leaders are hailing the voting going on right now in southern Sudan today. Tens of thousands of voters are casting ballots which could create the world's newest country. They will determine if the region becomes an independent nation or remains part of a unified Sudan. Many call the historic referendum a vote for freedom.

A passenger plane has crashed in northwestern Iran. There were 105 people onboard. We're still waiting for official word on whether anyone survived. The plane went down shortly after taking off from Tehran. The crash site is reported to be near a lake in a mountainous area.

And now as it pertains to that Tucson investigation, the shooting that took place yesterday, that investigation is now intensifying.

Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us now with more on what you're learning -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, you know there was this hunt on for this second individual, the sheriff's office released a photograph from a surveillance tape earlier today. Showed a white man in his 40s or 50s -- there it is -- in a dark blue jacket and blue jeans.

According to Jessica Yellin's law enforcement sources they did find this individual and he turned out to be a cab driver who had taken the suspect Jared Loughner to the scene of the shootings. Doesn't appear to have anything to do with this.

A separate source with whom I spoke said they have in fact questioned several individuals that they've come in contact with in the course of trying to flush out more about Loughner's movements and activities. But as yet they have not found anyone that has any connection to that shooting.

What they're trying to do here, Fred, is to create a time line to figure out where he was, when he was there, who he was talking to, what he was doing. I'm told they are making progress in that regard. They are also, of course, working hard to make sense of the evidence they collected during the execution of search warrants.

We have reason to believe they must have found a computer because this was an individual who posted online. In addition there may well be a cell phone. They'll be exploiting that to try and figure out exactly who he was talking to and if there's any connection at all to yesterday's horrific events -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jeanne Meserve, thank so much from Washington. Appreciate that.

Bracing for a big winter storm in the southeast. Jacqui Jeras will be joining us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. More ice, more snow, all of it on the way to the southeast. Not everybody is going to like that.

Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center. It's going to be inconvenient because it's falling on the beginning of the workweek and school week.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right. You know it's already coming down really hard right now in some areas. We're talking about a lot of reports of sleet that we're getting in addition to a couple inches of snow in parts of the south, in places that aren't used to dealing with this type of winter weather and where a lot of the communities don't have a lot of trucks in terms of salting and sanding to keep things safe for you.

So today is the day to stay home and be prepared for this type of weather because it is really brutal especially right now along the I- 20 corridor across parts of the Deep South.

(WEATHER REPORT)

JERAS: Now talk about travel. If you remember some of our recent northeast storms, in particular, Fredricka, you get a storm like this and that's when we start hearing these horror stories about people being stuck on the runways and at airports for days as well.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Miserable.

JERAS: A lot of the carriers are canceling flights in advance of the storm. Dallas has canceled hundreds of flights, as Atlanta has cancelled more than 1,000 flights, so call your carrier if you have plans today, tomorrow and Tuesday. They won't charge you to change those flights right now.

WHITFIELD: Much better to find that out before you make your way to the airport than to get there -- JERAS: And be stuck.

WHITFIELD: Yes, be stuck.

JERAS: Not fun.

WHITFIELD: That's miserable. All right, thanks so much, Jacqui. We'll check back with you because this is a pretty significant storm system threatening the entire southeast and then later on possibly the northeast.

JERAS: Yes. Maybe the northeast.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much.

All right, meantime, let's go back to Washington, D.C., and check in again with our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve with more information on the charges that the suspect might be facing now.

MESERVE: Right. We have just gotten some paperwork indicating that there were five counts that Jared Lee Loughner is going to be facing at this point. Additional charges could come later, but right now let me read them to you.

Count one, congressional attempt to kill. Count two, murder first- degree. Count three, murder, first-degree. Count four, attempted murder. Count five, attempted murder.

And we're told that -- excuse me, I'm getting some conflicting information here. Let me just say those are the charges that have been filed against this individual, Jared Lee Loughner, in connection with the shootings yesterday, which killed and wounded a total of 20 people altogether.

Back to you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jeanne. We'll check back with you as elements develop as results to these charges and this case. And we'll have much more after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More now on the Arizona shootings, the fact that Gabrielle Giffords is even alive is being credited in large part to a man who witnesses say sprang into action when the shooting started. One of the congresswoman's interns has medical training and clearly good reflexes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL HERNANDEZ, REP. GIFFORD'S INTERN: I heard the gunshots and I knew that people had been injured. So I ran towards where the congresswoman was so I heard shots and then I ran towards where she and some of her senior staff were.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What did you see? HERNANDEZ: When I got there, I saw that there were people who had been injured. I then tried to see who had a pulse still. See if people were still breathing. I was only able to check two or three people before I noticed that Congresswoman Giffords had been injured severely so then she became my first priority. Not just because of her position but also because of the severity of her wounds.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What did you see when you saw her?

HERNANDEZ: She had collapsed on the floor and she was injured. She had a shot to the head, so I tried to make sure that I picked her up so she wasn't in a position where she could asphyxiate on her own blood because of the position that she was originally in, making sure that I was holding her up so she was sitting in an upright position so she could breathe more easily.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And she was breathing -- bleeding profusely, I would assume?

HERNANDEZ: Yes. And because she was bleeding profusely, I then started applying pressure to her wound to try and kind of stem some of the blood loss.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How much blood are we talking about?

HERNANDEZ: I can't say. I really don't have any idea of how much was lost.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But significant?

HERNANDEZ: A significant amount.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Lifesaving intern Daniel Hernandez and his eyewitness account and how he sprang into action to help the congresswoman.

And now the suspected shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, faces a host of charges. Jeanne Meserve, our homeland security correspondent, back with us now out of Washington with more on the charges -- Jeanne.

MESERVE: Right, Fred. We've now seen -a statement of probable cause that accompanied the five charges I told you about a moment ago. A lot of it were accounts of what happened yesterday as we already know the facts but there's an interesting item here.

It says on January 8th a search warrant was executed at 7741 North Soledad Avenue in Tucson where he resides. Some of the evidence, it says, included a letter in a safe addressed to Mr. Jared Loughner at this address from Congresswoman Giffords on congressional stationery dated August 30, 2007, thanking him for attending a Congress on your corner event at the Foothills Mall in Tucson.

Also recovered in the safe was an envelope with handwriting on the envelope stating, quote, I planned ahead, unquote and, quote, my assassination and the name Giffords' along with what appears to be Loughner's signature. Now going over once again five federal charges filed this afternoon let me read them to you.

Count one; he did attempt to kill Gabriel Giffords. Count two, did unlawfully kill Gabriel Zimmerman, an employee of the United States who was engaged in the performance of official duties, did unlawfully kill John Roll, a U.S. District court judge, an employee of the U.S. who was engaged in the performance of official duties. Did, with intent to kill, attempt to kill Pamela Simon, an employee of the United States, again engaged in official duties and finally. Count five, attempt to murder Ron Barber, an employee of the U.S. again engaged in official duties. Those are the five targets they have laid out now.

The head of the FBI Director Robert Mueller made it perfectly clear in a press conference earlier today that this could be just the beginning, that there could be additional federal charges or state charges. He held up the possibility that he might eventually be charged under domestic terrorism law but at this point in time these five charges and this new information about letters that were found in a safe at the home -- at the press conference earlier today the sheriff did say there had been interactions between the suspect and Congresswoman Giffords back in 2007 but we hadn't known about these communications until now.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Extraordinary set of details. Thanks so much, Jeanne Meserve in Washington. Appreciate that and we'll have much more on this investigation and of course a big weather system that's moving throughout the southeastern part of the country. We will have all that straight ahead next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is still in critical condition in an Arizona hospital after she was shot during a political event in Tucson yesterday. Six people including a federal judge were killed in the shooting spree. Giffords and 13 other people were wounded. The suspected gunman, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner is in federal custody and now facing at least five charges.

And a rare winter storm is now bearing down on the south, it is expected to spread snow, ice, sleet, all of it, you name it, across the broad area from Texas to the Carolinas. Travel will be dangerous across the region and power outages are also expected.

And voters in southern Sudan are deciding whether the region should be an independent nation. A 2005 treaty that ended a 22-year civil war between the north and the south and Sudan set the stage for this referendum. People in the south are largely Christian. The north is mostly Muslim.

And now as we continue the investigation into what took place in Tucson yesterday, the Pima County sheriff Clarence Dupnik, had some straight talk about the role that he thinks politics may have played in that shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF CLARENCE DUPNIK, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: He had some issues that he wanted to discuss with the counsel woman. She was nearby where he lives. He took the opportunity to go discuss some business with her.

QUESTION: This person of interest, you were with him last night, do you now know who he is or who he might be?

DUPNIK: We do not. We are still actively searching and we're reasonably certain that we're going to find out.

QUESTION: What is your (INAUDIBLE) of Mr. Loughner?

DUPNIK: I'm not in a position to address that issue right now.

QUESTION: Can you talk about the judge and where he was in relation to all of this?

DUPNIK: He was very nearby Gabrielle.

QUESTION: And both of them?

DUPNIK: Well, I don't know the answer to that.

QUESTION: Any surveillance tapes that you are in the process of reviewing?

DUPNIK: I'm not able to discuss that at this point.

QUESTION: This is obviously more than just another case. You know these people, several of them, for a long time. I've seen you at functions and parties. Tell us about your personal feelings.

DUPNIK: Well, it's very hard -- I have -- I vacillate between extreme sadness and sorrow and shock and extreme anger.

QUESTION: A general comment to clarify or elaborate.

DUPNIK: Could you ask the question again, please?

QUESTION: Last night you made a pretty general statement that freedom of speech does not come without consequences. Do you care to elaborate?

DUPNIK: Well, I think that when the rhetoric about hatred, about miss trust of government, about paranoia of how government operates and to try to inflame the public on a daily basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week has impact on people especially who are unbalanced personalities to begin with.

QUESTION: Does he have an attorney, do you know?

DUPNIK: I don't know. QUESTION: Loughner has a criminal past. Is this something that came up in background checks that he applied for --

DUPNIK: I do not know the answer to that question.

QUESTION: Sheriff, what are your observations about the state of Arizona gun laws?

DUPNIK: Well, I think we're the tombstone of the United States of America.

QUESTION: Is that a reference to the town?

DUPNIK: I have never been a proponent of letting everybody in this state carry weapons under any circumstances that they want and that's almost where we are. The legislature at this time is proposing that students and teachers be allowed to have weapons in schools and in college. Colleges ought to be run by the college presidents not the Arizona legislature. But that's the ridiculous state to where we have become. And we have one more question.

QUESTION: The woman that was injured yesterday --

DUPNIK: Yes, she was shot. Before grabbing the weapon.

QUESTION: Sir, what about mental health laws and the treatment of mental health as well?

DUPNIK: That's an everyday issue for the entire United States, for the entire world. We have very, very serious problems in this community. Back in 1960 when I was a young cop on the beat we put mentally ill people who were threats into a system that incarcerated them. Today they're on the street and we're paying the price for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Pima County Sheriff Dupnik from earlier today on the ramifications in politics and security all stemming from yesterday's tragic set of events. Now we also have learned that the suspect, a 22- year-old Jared Loughner is now facing at least five charges including congressional attempt to kill and two counts of first-degree murder just to name a few. Of course we'll have much more on that investigation in a moment.

Mea meantime, something else we're keeping a close watch on, big, big, nasty weather, potentially nasty weather and potentially dangerous, too, sweeping across the southeast. Jacqui Jeras from the Weather Center with more on that and already snowflakes falling in some places.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, and freezing rain and sleet as well. Those are some of the major concerns. We are talking about a dozen states now under winter storm warnings in places of the country that don't normally see a lot of this type of weather. That is another thing that just kind of adds to the threat and danger of this storm system that we are dealing with. There you can see all the states which are involved in those warnings and we are starting to see some of this dark purple, those are for ice storm warnings. We're expecting some accumulating ice at this hour. It's already coming down in parts of Texas, Louisiana, into Arkansas, Mississippi, and now we are getting those reports in Alabama as well.

Some of the worst of the weather has been in northern Texas at this hour. There you can see the radar showing you the snow. It's been heaviest on the north and east side of town where we've had reports of as much as 6 inches of snow coming down. A couple inches less than that expected in DFW itself. The roads are getting slippery and we have live on the phone right now Michael Humphrey with our bureau, the CNN gulf coast. Michael, you've been on Interstate 35. What have conditions been like? Tell us about your experience here.

MICHAEL HUMPHREY, CNN FIELD ENGINEER (via telephone): The weather south of Dallas 35 Echo is now pretty treacherous. The snow is still coming down pretty heavily. Lots of traffic, bumper to bumper. It's taken me about 2 1/2 hours to get from Dallas to Hillsborough which is only about an hour and a half ride down south on 35. But I've just ended up 35 out of Hillsborough and it's not snowing anymore and the roads are clear. So apparently the weather is now warmer here and it's not near as cold as it is north of here.

JERAS: I am also hearing some reports that there have been some accidents in and around town. Have you seen anything on the roadways? How are drivers handling this?

HUMPHREY: Well this morning when I left Dallas I probably passed 10, 15 accidents in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. And on 35 I've seen probably three or four accidents on the northbound side of the interstate going north in towards Dallas. The southbound side of Dallas has been pretty clear, just the slow go all the way from south Dallas 20 down to Hillsborough, Texas, which is down on 35.

JERAS: And you mentioned the slush. Was there any ice at all or how are bridges and overpasses?

HUMPHREY: Yes, ma'am. Got a little slippery there once someone stepped too short and I actually had to -- when I hit the brakes I was sliding pretty good.

JERAS: Oh, boy.

HUMPHREY: You just don't like to put a truck sideways on the interstates but you have to do that sometimes.

JERAS: Stay safe Michael. We're glad you're out of it. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to help us out today.

All right. So you can hear things are starting to get icy and slushy in this area. We also just got reports, by the way, just north of Shreveport that the freezing rain, that comes down as liquid and then coats everything with ice, has accumulated to around a quarter of an inch. That is enough to start causing some power outages and certainly to make things very dangerous on the interstates. I-20 is going to be one of the worst places to be driving along in this area throughout the day today as well.

Let's talk a little bit about what we can expect in terms of accumulation for snow and keep in mind that some of these totals are going to vary a little bit because a lot of you that will start as snow are going to change over to some of this freezing rain. So some of our best estimates we are looking at maybe 3 to 7 in Little Rock, 2 to 5 inches in Memphis today, maybe 1 to 2 in Nashville, 4 to 8 across northern parts of Alabama, Atlanta metro maybe 3 to 6 inches or so and again it is going to vary through north of town it is going to be a little more. South of town a little more ice. You can see those ice accumulations down here anywhere between maybe a quarter of an inch to half of an inch. When we start talking about that much ice, that's when we need to start worrying about some safety and people losing power.

And here are a couple tips for you. If you're at home and you do lose power, make sure you supervise any space heaters that you might have. If you are using candles for light to try to get a little heat out of them, never leave them unintended. Don't have them burning in an empty room. Change your batteries now if you still have power especially your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If you are happening to use a generator make sure you keep that outdoors and make sure you avoid carbon monoxide poisoning because of that gas stove and kerosene heater can do that as well.

What about people like Michael Humphrey that are out there traveling today? If this is essential and you have to do it, make sure you have got a winter safety kit with you. First of all, freezing rain is the worst of it. That's a no go. If you are starting to get ice in your area, don't drive at all. Stock your car up with equipment, an ice scraper, a brush, and a bag of sand. Bring your cell phone with you, maybe even two if you have the backup. Make sure you have the charger if you have that for your car and make sure that your battery is fully charged to begin with. Make sure your gas tank is full, by the way. You definitely don't want to have less than a quarter of a tank. If you get stuck out there you're going to want to turn on your car on occasion to help keep you safe in this type of a situation.

But if you do become stranded, by the way, stay calm. Easier said than done, right? But stay inside your car. Especially if you are in the snow sometimes people can get disoriented, you get lost if you don't know where you are at. So just a couple of tips for you. And start planning now too Fredricka for people who live in places like Birmingham, into Atlanta as well as Charlotte that are going to start to have problems. I think a lot of people aren't going to have school tomorrow. Think of what you're going to be doing like staying in a hotel.

WHITFIELD: What about those nonperishable items if you do lose power at home?

JERAS: You might lose your water service potentially as well and frozen pipes can be a problem. So keep a little drip going there will help you out too.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy, so much to remember. But thankfully you had it all down for us. I was taking notes. Thanks, Jacqui. I appreciate that.

We will have much more after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Charges for the shooting suspect from yesterday's incident in Tucson and now a scheduled court appearance. Let's check in with our national correspondent Susan Candiotti. What more do we know about that?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well the FBI director said that the formal charges would be filed this day and, in fact, they've just been filed in court. These are complaints against the defendant, Jared Lee Loughner. There are five counts. He is being charged with in U.S. District Court out of Phoenix.

Two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. The three counts of attempted murder include those involving the injuries, serious injuries, sustained by Congresswoman Giffords as well as two of her aides. And the two counts of first-degree murder, of course, involve the chief federal judge for the district of Arizona, John Roll, as well as a congressional aide to Congresswoman Giffords, by the name of Gabriel Zimmerman. Now this means that he will make his first appearance in Federal Court tomorrow afternoon Mountain Time here and that means that will be about 4:00 Eastern Time before a federal magistrate. After that probably they will set a date for a detention hearing, at which time he has a case to try to ask for bond. It's highly unlikely in this particular case.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Candiotti thanks so much. Again the flowers continue to pile up behind you. It seems that the crowd has grown as well for that makeshift tribute that is taking place behind Susan Candiotti there in Tucson for Congresswoman Giffords as well as for the many others -- the 19 other shooting victims.

Meantime, U.S. Representative Giffords is able to communicate with doctors by following simple commands. This encouraging statement was made by doctors in Tucson.

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DR. MICHAEL LEMOLE, CHIEF OF NEUROSURGERY, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: The things that are most concerning to us are if the bullet crosses from one hemisphere to the other, one side to the other. If the bullet crosses through the geometric center of the brain. I'm happy to say that was not the case in this instance and because of that Congresswoman Giffords is able to communicate with us this morning through following of simple commands and we're very encouraged by that. We're still, still in critical condition, brain swelling at any time can take a turn for the worse, but I am cautiously optimistic.

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WHITFIELD: Six people were killed when a gunman opened fire at a meet and greet with Congresswoman Giffords. She was the most critically injured of the 14 people wounded and she's the only one as we understand according to doctors in intensive care. So 20 people in all were hit in yesterday's unthinkable shooting in Tucson. Among the six killed in the attack, Federal Judge John Roll. The 63-year-old U.S. District Court chief judge had served the legal system for nearly 40 years. He was a father of three and had five grandchildren. The Pima County sheriff says Roll was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's remembered as a selfless dedicated jurist.

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JUDGE REBECCA WHITE BERCH, CHIEF JUSTICE, ARIZONA SUPREME COURT: He was well-loved in the Arizona legality community. He was one of those judges who was always thoughtful and wise and patient and kind.

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WHITFIELD: Also killed, one of the staffers of injured Congresswoman Giffords, 30 year old Gabe Zimmerman. He was in charge of community outreach in Giffords Tuscan office, and he was engaged to be married. House Speaker John Boehner talked about the tragedy today from his home state of Ohio.

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REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: Among the fallen is Gabe Zimmerman a member of Congresswoman Giffords staff. I'm directed that the flags on the house side of the Capitol be flown at half-mast in honor of Gabe's death in the line of duty.

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WHITFIELD: The youngest victim in the Tucson tragedy was 9 years old, Christina Taylor Green. She wanted to learn more about politics. That's why she was at Congresswoman Giffords event at that Safeway store. Christina was the granddaughter of Dallas Green, the former manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. The little girl's father is John Green, a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Earlier her father spoke to CNN.

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JOHN GREEN, FATHER OF 9 YEAR OLD VICTIM (via telephone): Born on 9/11, so she came in on a tragedy and now she's gone out on a tragedy. But the nine years in between were very special. We're all going to Miss Christina. We were four people, and now we're three. So all I can say is we're going to be strong for each other, and we are going to honor Christina.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: There were many heroic acts of bravery when the bullets started flying in Tuscan. One of those acts was by 76-year-old Dorwin Stoddard. He used his body to shield his wife who was wounded in the shooting, but Mr. Stoddard didn't survive. Here's a list of the other victims. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Of course we're keeping an eye on all of the latest headlines on the CNN politics.com desk, and here's what crossing right now. House Leader John Boehner made a statement about the Arizona shooting this morning from his home state of Ohio. He insisted that such violent acts have no place in society. The Republican leader vowed the attack will not intimidate members of Congress from doing their jobs.

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REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: This inhumane act will not deter us from our calling to represent our constituents and to fulfill our oaths of office. No act, no matter how heinous, must be allowed to stop us from our duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Boehner has requested flags be flown at half-staff on the house side of the U.S. Capitol to honor Gabe Zimmerman, he's the member of Congresswoman Giffords' staff who was killed in that attack yesterday. Flags are also flying at half-staff at the White House and the U.S. Supreme Court to honor all of the victims.

In other news now former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole is back in the hospital for a fever that sent him to the hospital last week. The 87-year-old former lawmaker released a statement saying he was readmitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center Friday night after his fever returned. He says over all, though, he feels well.

And for the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNpolitics.com.

Before the shooting began, one of Congresswoman Giffords' former aides came right up and close and personal with the suspected gunman. Angelique Lizarde of our Tuscan affiliate KVOA has the story.

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ANGELIQUE LIZARDE, KVOA REPORTER: Nineteen-year-old Alex Villec, a former intern of Gabrielle Giffords runs to his mother after witnessing the horrific shooting.

ALEX VILLEC, GIFFORDS' FORMER INTERN: I was asked yesterday if I wanted to help out here. I knew the drill and set up.

LIZARDE: Alex says his duty at Giffords event was to redirect constituents who wanted to speak to Giffords. That's when he was face to face with the gunman.

VILLEC: Kind of shady-looking gentleman came up and asked me if he could talk to the congresswoman. Just like anybody else had to wait, he had to move to the back of the line. He came back about 30 seconds later, and he was barging through the tables towards the congresswoman. LIZARDE: Villec says that is when the shooting began, and he ran for his safety. Were you there with her?

VILLEC: I was three feet from her. I was just lucky not to be in the line of fire. I'm shaken to my core, and all I can say is that I'm lucky I got out of there in time.

LIZARDE: Villec says he said he's never witnessed something so tragic.

VILLEC: This was her district and it was a real shame to see somebody that this who connected so well, who came through in a really heartening election and battled it out suffer this kind of fate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: During the horrible shooting rampage yesterday there were acts of bravery in the crowd. One such act was performed by a man who was wounded in the attack, yet still helped to subdue the shooter. CNN's Carol Costello talked to someone who saw it all.

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JOE ZAMUDIO, WITNESS: There was a gentleman wounded on top of the head. I think he got hit with a ricochet or something. The bullet grazed the top of his head. He's the real, real hero. He got hit and still grabbed this man who was free at that point and initiated the contact with the shooter. He grabbed him, and then other people were able to grab on and they were able to kind of contain him and pull him down, which was the key because like I said, the lady grabbed his free hand which had the extra magazine in it and that was what prevented him from reloading and firing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The eyewitness and other members of the crowd were able to pin the gunman to the ground until police showed up.