Gabrielle Giffords, Congresswoman for Arizona, has been shot by gunman Jared Loughner, she was talking to people in the suburban town of Tucson, Southern Arizona. A gunman opened fire just after 1000 local time (1700 GMT) on Saturday as Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was meeting constituents in the city of Tucson. Ms Giffords was shot in the head at close range - witnesses said the gunman was only a couple of feet away - and 18 others also suffered gunshot wounds. Ms Giffords was flown to a hospital in Tucson for emergency surgery, after which her surgeon said he was optimistic she would survive. She is still in intensive care. Five people were killed at the scene and one died in hospital. Among the dead were federal Judge John Roll, a nine-year-old child and one of Ms Giffords’s political aides. Two other members of Ms Giffords's staff were said to be among the 13 people injured. Police believe the congresswoman was the intended target of the attack.