Gabrielle Giffords visits trail head named after slain aide

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The day before the one-year anniversary of the shooting that left U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords severely injured and six others dead, the congresswoman and her husband on Saturday visited a Tucson trail head named in honor of Giffords’ slain aide.

Gabe Zimmerman was among those killed Jan. 8, 2011, when a gunman opened fire outside a Tucson grocery story while Giffords was meeting with constituents. Thirteen people were wounded in the shooting, including Giffords, who was shot in the head.

Giffords’ husband, Mark Kelly, tweeted a picture of himself and Giffords at the Davidson Canyon Gabe Zimmerman Memorial Trailhead outside of Tucson.

Kelly also tweeted: “Just left the Davidson Canyon trail head dedicated to Gabby’s aide Gabe Zimmerman. So much to see; we’ll be back.”

The visit to the trail head was one of many events planned to commemorate the shootings. A community-wide bell-ringing is to take place at 10:11 a.m. Sunday, when the shooting began; a service will honor the lives of those slain; and a candlelight vigil will include a performance by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

The vigil will begin at 6:30 p.m., led by Ron Barber, Giffords’ district director, who was shot in the leg and cheek. Giffords and Kelly were expected to attend.

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-- Stephen Ceasar