Jared Lee Loughner 2011 US mass murderer Date of Birth: 10.09.1988 Country: USA

Biography of Jared Lee Loughner

Jared Lee Loughner, the criminal who committed a mass shooting in the United States in 2011, was born on September 10, 1988, in Tucson, Arizona. He grew up in Tucson and received his education there. In his youth, Loughner played the saxophone in a jazz band and was described by acquaintances as affable and fond of jokes. Towards the end of his school years, Loughner began dressing as a member of the "goth" subculture and started expressing conspiracy theories, including the belief that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the American government. Additionally, Loughner developed a drug addiction and stopped attending school in 2006 after a severe alcohol poisoning incident. He mentioned attending Northwest Aztec Middle College in Tucson as one of his places of further education.

Loughner's relationship with his parents, Randy and Amy Loughner, was unstable, and there were instances when he would disappear from home. His father, Randy, did not have an official job but worked on car repairs. In October 2007, Loughner was arrested for drug possession, but he was released in November. He faced legal consequences again in October 2008, but the specific charges were not disclosed by journalists. In 2008, Loughner attempted to join the US Army but was deemed unfit for service after tests and medical examinations in December. The official reasons for his rejection were not disclosed, but it was suggested that his drug use played a role, particularly his admission of regular marijuana consumption.

In the late 2000s, Loughner worked as a sandwich salesman and dog walker at a local animal care center but was fired from both jobs due to inappropriate behavior. In 2010, Loughner enrolled in Pima Community College, a municipal college in the county, through a program designed for high school dropouts. The specific field of his study is unknown, but Loughner regularly violated the college's code of conduct and was described as mentally unstable.

On September 29, 2010, the college administration discovered a YouTube video made by Loughner in which he claimed that the college's operation was unconstitutional. As a result, he was temporarily suspended for behavioral violations. In October of the same year, Loughner announced that he was permanently leaving the college and cut off all contact with the institution. The college representatives warned Loughner that he needed to provide medical proof that his presence in the college would not pose a danger to himself or others in order to resume his studies. On MySpace and YouTube, Loughner wrote that he was "studying grammar" and published anti-government messages, implying mind control through the manipulation of grammar. He criticized the low literacy level at the college and called on residents of his congressional district to independently monitor their knowledge of English grammar. Loughner also had ideas about creating a new gold standard-based monetary system. Some of his messages were noted for containing "strange syllogisms" and inexplicable numbers and references.

During this time, Loughner claimed to be attending Arizona State University, although university representatives later denied these claims. In November 2010, Loughner legally purchased a handgun after passing a standard FBI background check. He then attempted to buy ammunition at a store but was denied due to his erratic behavior. However, he later acquired ammunition from another store.

On January 8, 2011, Loughner appeared at a meeting with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona, where he shot six people, including a girl born on the day of the 9/11 attacks, and federal Judge John Roll. He also injured thirteen (or fourteen, according to other sources) people, including Giffords herself. Loughner tried to flee the scene but was apprehended by Giffords' staff or caught while reloading his weapon, depending on the source.

In the subsequent criminal case "United States v. Jared Lee Loughner," he was charged with five counts, two of which were related to the murder of federal officials, and the remaining three were attempted murder charges against government officials, including Giffords. His defense attorney was Judy Clarke, who previously represented Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber, and was involved in defending Al-Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui.

It was also reported that Loughner had made threats against Giffords before the shooting. Local law enforcement confirmed that he had made several death threats but not specifically targeting Giffords. However, a letter of appreciation from Giffords for his participation in a meeting with Tucson residents in 2007 and an envelope with the inscriptions "I planned ahead," "My assassination," and "Giffords" were found at Loughner's home. The police also mentioned that Loughner arrived at the meeting with Giffords accompanied by a man around fifty years old, who was suspected of being involved in the crime.

Loughner mentioned revolutionary Che Guevara, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and US President Barack Obama as his favorite political figures. He was registered as a voter in 2006 but did not join any political party.

Loughner's favorite hobby was reading, and his favorite books included George Orwell's "Animal Farm," Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels's "The Communist Manifesto," Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha," Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf," and others. The press noted that many of these books shared themes of individuals challenging totalitarian systems.