January 8th Memorial gathering

by Carolyn Classen, blogger

Gathering will mark 15-year anniversary of Jan. 8 shooting

PIMA COUNTY – Jan. 8, 2026, marks 15 years since the tragic shooting that killed six people and wounded 13 others in northwest Tucson. At 10 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 8, Pima County officials, survivors and community members will reflect and gather at the Jan. 8 Embrace Memorial adjacent to the Historic Pima County Courthouse, 115 N. Church Ave.

District 1 Supervisor Rex Scott, Pima County Board of Supervisors, will offer opening remarks at the commemoration.

The event also will include:

• Presentation of flags by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department honor guard
• Prayer and reading of the names by Rev. Joe Fitzgerald, Banner-University Medical Center chaplain
• Bell ringing at exactly 10:10 a.m. to coincide with when the first shots were fired
• Remarks by former U.S. Congressman Ron Barber, who was injured in the shooting, and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero

The Memorial, which is located just west of the Historic Courthouse in El Presidio Park, 115 N. Church Ave., and called “Embrace,” tells the story of the lives lost and people wounded at the hand of a gunman on January 8, 2011, at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ “Congress on Your Corner” event in Tucson. It features sloping walls that depict symbols embodying the values and interests held by each of the six people who died and the 13 survivors, including Giffords, who was seriously injured in the attack.

In addition, the Memorial showcases symbols dedicated to the community of first responders, Tucson’s history, and the aspirations of the community for the future. The Memorial also features gardens named for each of the six people who were killed.

More information about the Embrace Memorial is available at the Southern Arizona and Visitor Center website.“

Carolyn’s note: Has it been 15 years since Gabby was almost assassinated? She is now the wife of Arizona US Senator Mark Kelly. I remember her talented Congressional Aide I knew who were killed that day: Gabe Zimmerman, dead at age 30. Plus I also knew some of the injured: Gabby of course and her District Director Ron Barber, who later became a Congressman for a short while, and Pam Simon, another Congressional aide. My husband had taught Suzi Hileman, a constituent who was shot as well several times. And unfortunately I also knew Amy Loughner, mother of the shooter, who was/is? the Mgr. of Agua Caliente Park in Pima County.