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Loughner doctor: "His psychotic symptoms seem controlled with medication."

Posted: Aug 9, 2012 10:55 PM
Updated: Aug 10, 2012 12:00 AM


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TUCSON- A new report shows confessed Jan. 8 shooter, Jared Loughner, saw himself as a failure when he found out he did not kill Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

An evaluation by a Federal Bureau of Prisons psychologist gave insight into his mental state while he was held in a Missouri facility.

He was depressed and on suicide watch during his entire evaluation, and his comprehension of what happened was inconsistent.

In the report, the doctor said Loughner clearly suffered from a chronic mental illness, but more importantly, he was mentally able to enter a plea deal.

According to an interview on Jan. 23, 2011, Jared Loughner said, "I saw her on TV yesterday. I saw her do the pledge."

The very next day he said, "I saw her on TV last night. I saw Christina Green. I saw Mrs. Hileman. I saw the guy that held me down. [...] I swear to you that's not the woman I shot. The woman I shot in the head died instantly. No one could survive that gunshot wound to the head."

Joel Dvoskin is a forensic and clinical psychologist. He is familiar with the case, as well as Loughner's medications.

"Because of the treatment he received at the federal medical center in Springfield, he went from being not competent to stand trial to being clearly competent to stand trial," Dvoskin said.

Bill Badger, who Loughner shot on Jan. 8, 2011, agreed Loughner needed help.

"If somebody would have stepped up and got him some help," Badger said, "we'd have had 6 more people and 13 that weren't shot that day."

In the report Loughner also said, "It's another failure if she's alive. Jared Loughner failed again. He's a failure. So all of this would be for nothing."

Bill Badger also hopes this wasn't for nothing. He hopes lawmakers will take experiences like this as a lesson.

"If they are having mental problems they shouldn't be able to buy guns and go shoot people," he said.

The forensic update stated Loughner realized a plea would mean life in prison, and that's exactly what happened. He will officially be sentenced in November.

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