TUCSON, Ariz. – Law enforcement radio traffic moments after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot reveal a dispatcher urgently sending Pima County sheriff's deputies to the scene.
"Callers reporting a shooting, a semiautomatic weapon. He shot at people," the female dispatcher said over police radio.
"We have a caller who believes that Gabrielle Giffords was shot. That's, uh, multiple victims," she continued. The dispatcher then said: "Customers have tackled the suspect. They are holding him down."
The tapes were released Thursday, five days after a gunman opened fire at a Safeway parking lot where Giffords was meeting constituents.
Six people were killed and 13 others were wounded, including the congresswoman. The excerpts of the recordings continue with deputies who had arrived at the grocery store parking lot:
Voice of deputy: "Send multiple med units. People down. I'm counting at least 10."
Deputy: "There are multiple victims. We need a lot more units here."
Dispatcher: "And fire (department) is sending, uh, everything they have."
Deputy: "We have at least 7, 8, maybe 10 gunshot victims here."
Authorities had earlier released 911 tapes of people at the scene calling in the first reports of the shooting.
