Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Solar Advocate, Survives Gunshot to Head

In critical condition but responsive to doctors’ commands

Eric Wesoff January 08, 2011

Eric Wesoff

Editor-at-Large
Greentech Media

Eric Wesoff is Editor-at-Large at Greentech Media. Prior to joining GTM, Eric Wesoff founded Sage Marketing Partners in 2000 to provide sales and marketing-consulting services to venture-capital firms and their portfolio companies in the alternative energy and telecommunications sectors. Mr. Wesoff has become a well-known, respected authority and speaker in these fields.

His expertise covers solar power, fuel cells, biofuels and advanced batteries. His strengths are in market research and analysis, business development and due diligence for investors. He frequently consults for energy startups and Silicon Valley's premier venture capitalists.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was amongst more than ten people shot after a gunman opened fire outside a Tucson, Arizona supermarket. Six people were killed in the shooting including a federal judge and a nine-year-old girl. The suspect is in custody.

President Barack Obama called the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy" at a televised news conference. "What Americans do at times of tragedy is to come together and support each other, so at this time I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping all the victims and their families, including Gabby, in our thoughts and prayers," he said.

Giffords, 40, was taken to University Medical Center, where she underwent brain surgery and was listed in critical condition. Dr. Peter Rhee, trauma director at UMC, told reporters that Giffords was responsive to doctors' commands.

Giffords is known for her work supporting solar power. In 2009, Gifford's “Solar Technology Road Map Act,” passed the House with bipartisan support.

The Act creates an 11-member committee to advise the DOE and Congress on solar policy. Thirty percent of DOE solar funding in 2012 would be subject to the roadmap's guidelines; this would increase to 75 percent by 2015. The bill would help "continue technological innovations and breakthroughs in the solar industry," according to the SEIA.