Gabrielle Giffords visits Newtown

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NEWTOWN, Conn., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords visited Newtown, Conn., to talk to families who lost children in last month's school shooting.

Giffords, D-Ariz., who was seriously injured in a mass shooting in Tucson, first met privately with several officials, The News-Times of Danbury, Conn., reported. She arrived at the town hall with her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, and hugged Newtown Schools Superintendent Janet Robinson in the lobby.

Robinson thanked Giffords for visiting Newtown and Giffords replied only "How horrible." Giffords then had a private meeting with Robinson, Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.

Giffords said nothing as she left the building. Her meetings with Newtown families were also to be private.

Jared Loughner, who has admitted shooting Giffords and killing six people at a Tucson shopping center in January 2011, was armed with a semi-automatic Glock handgun. Adam Lanza, who took his own life after killing his mother and then 20 children and six staff members at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, used a semi-automatic weapon.