Jared Lee Loughner

Jared Lee Loughner was born on September 10, 1988, in Tucson, Arizona, the only child of Randy and Amy Loughner. His parents were described by neighbors as intensely private individuals. His mother worked as a horticulturalist for the Pima County Parks Department, while his father was a retired truck driver. During his childhood and early adolescence, Loughner appeared to live a relatively unremarkable life, attending local schools and forming friendships.

Loughner attended Mountain View High School but dropped out in 2006. Around this period, acquaintances began to notice a marked change in his behavior and personality. Former classmates later described him as increasingly withdrawn, erratic, and difficult to communicate with. A former girlfriend from high school stated that she had known him as caring and gentle, making his later actions difficult for those who knew him to reconcile.

After leaving high school, Loughner struggled to maintain employment. He was fired from a job at a Quiznos restaurant due to behavioral issues and later volunteered briefly at a local animal shelter, where staff reported that he was unable to understand or follow instructions and was eventually asked not to return. He later enrolled at Pima Community College, where his behavior became increasingly disruptive.

Between February and September 2010, campus police at Pima Community College documented five separate incidents involving Loughner, including classroom outbursts, confrontational behavior in the library, and bizarre speech patterns. Several instructors expressed concern that he exhibited signs of severe mental illness. In September 2010, the college suspended him and required that he obtain a mental health clearance before returning. Rather than comply, Loughner withdrew from the institution entirely.

During these years, Loughner developed a fixation on conspiracy theories, language control, government authority, and what he believed were hidden systems of manipulation within society. He posted online videos and messages expressing distrust of government, disdain for religion, and hostility toward women in positions of power. Friends later reported that he was obsessed with ideas involving currency, grammar, and apocalyptic beliefs.

Loughner also had a documented history of substance abuse in his late teens, including marijuana, hallucinogens, and other drugs. Though some acquaintances claimed he stopped using drugs by late 2008, his mental state continued to deteriorate. In the months preceding the shooting, his parents became sufficiently alarmed by his behavior that they disabled his car at night to prevent him from leaving the house and urged him to seek psychiatric help. He refused sustained treatment.

On the morning of January 8, 2011, Jared Lee Loughner carried out a mass shooting at a Safeway supermarket in Casas Adobes, Arizona, where U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding a constituent meeting titled “Congress on Your Corner.”

Earlier that day, Loughner legally purchased ammunition at a Walmart store. He traveled to the Safeway location by taxi and arrived shortly before the event began. At approximately 10:10 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, Loughner opened fire at close range using a 9mm Glock pistol.

Representative Giffords was shot in the head and critically injured but survived. Six individuals were killed in the attack, including Chief U.S. District Court Judge John Roll and a congressional staff member. Thirteen others were wounded by gunfire, and one additional person was injured while attempting to subdue Loughner. The shooting ended when bystanders tackled him after his firearm jammed.

Loughner was arrested at the scene and taken into custody by local law enforcement. During his arrest, he repeatedly stated, “I plead the Fifth.” He was later transferred to federal custody and charged with numerous counts of murder and attempted murder, including the attempted assassination of a member of Congress.

Medical evaluations conducted after his arrest diagnosed Loughner with paranoid schizophrenia. He was repeatedly ruled incompetent to stand trial and spent extended periods in federal prison medical facilities receiving psychiatric treatment, including involuntary medication authorized by court order after extensive legal proceedings.

On August 7, 2012, following more than a year of treatment, Loughner was found competent to stand trial. On that same day, he pleaded guilty to 19 federal charges, including multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. The plea agreement spared him the death penalty and required that he serve life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

On November 8, 2012, Loughner was formally sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences plus an additional 140 years in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling approximately $19 million to the victims. State prosecutors in Arizona later announced they would not pursue additional charges, citing the wishes of the victims and their families.

As of the mid‑2010s and beyond, Jared Lee Loughner remains incarcerated in the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota, where he is serving his sentence under conditions appropriate for inmates with serious mental health needs.