Loughner Considers Himself A ‘Failure’ For Not Killing Gabby Giffords
Phoenix, AZ – According to a psychologist’s report released Thursday, Tuscon gunman Jared Lee Loughner, who killed six people and severely wounded former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, considers the whole incident moot since he wasn’t able to kill Giffords.
The report also warns that though Loughner was competent to plead guilty in the Tuscon mass shooting, he is still incredibly mentally ill and his condition could rapidly deteriorate under the stress of trial, reports CBS News. Though his condition has improved lately, this was apparently the result of medication, and because his mental health could “wax and wane, I recommend the court expeditiously address issues related to his situation,” wrote Psychologist Christina Pietz in her report. “Mr. Loughner is currently competent to proceed. However, because of his fragile mental state, there is no guarantee he will remain competent for an extended time.”
During the interview, Pietz pressed Loughner about Giffords’ survival. Loughner understood that the former Congresswoman lived through the shooting, and admitted that he felt disappointed that he wasn’t able to kill her. “I’m not an assassin,” Loughner was quoted in the report as saying, reports the Huffington Post. Regardless, he later confessed to Pietz that: “Jared Loughner failed again. He’s a failure. So all of this would be for nothing.”
Despite his apparent understanding that Giffords had survived, Loughner reportedly later reversed on this point, insisting that she died in the shooting. “In my opinion, Mr. Loughner maintains this belief to vindicate himself and not because he is delusional,” Pietz said of Loughner. She believes that Loughner lies to himself in order to not feel as though he failed.
Loughner pleaded guilty to 19 counts under a plea agreement that spares him the death penalty, but guarantees that he will spend the rest of his life in prison. Former US Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her husband were reportedly amenable to the plea bargain.
Giffords’ subsequent miraculous recovery from the shooting that left six dead and 12 wounded has been a subject of media interest since the incident.
