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14 January 2011
Last updated at 12:15 ET
Mourners have gathered in Tucson for the funeral of the US judge killed in Saturday's Arizona shooting.
John Roll had stopped to see Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at a constituent meeting when a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing six.
His funeral was being held at the same Catholic church as that on Thursday of a nine-year-old killed in the attack.
Ms Giffords, shot through the head, remains in critical condition but appears to be recovering, doctors said.
Jared Loughner, 22, is being held pending trial over the shooting, in which more than a dozen people were injured.
On Friday morning mourners began arriving at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Tucson, the city where the shooting occurred, amid heavy security.
Dozens of Mr Roll's colleagues on the bench were expected to arrive by bus. Other dignitaries expected were Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Arizona Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl and former Vice-President Dan Quayle.
Mr Roll was appointed to the US District Court for Arizona by President George Bush Sr in 1991 on Mr McCain's recommendation, and was described as a devoted, talented and gentle man.
"His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the ninth circuit," President Barack Obama said at a memorial service on Wednesday.
'Not the target' He was a graduate of the University of Arizona, and attended Mass every day, including the morning before the shooting.
Mr Roll reportedly received death threats in 2009 when he allowed a $32m (£21m) lawsuit filed by illegal immigrants against an Arizona rancher to proceed. More than 200 threatening phone calls were made to his office on one day.
Officials at the time said many of the threats were stirred up by right-wing talk radio. He received police protection for a month as a result.
Authorities have said Mr Roll was not the target of the attack - Ms Giffords was - but have said he stopped by the store after Mass to say hello to Ms Giffords and possibly to talk to her about overcrowding on the court docket.
His funeral comes a day after 2,000 mourners packed into that church for the funeral of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, also killed in the shooting.
Meanwhile, Ms Giffords's doctors said on Friday morning that she has begun more frequently to open her eyes and was able to carry out increasingly complex actions on command.
"We're very encouraged that she's continuing to make all the right moves in the right direction," Dr Michael Lemole told reporters. "We couldn't have hoped for any better improvement than we're seeing now, given the severity of her injury."
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John Roll had stopped to see Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at a constituent meeting when a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing six.
His funeral was being held at the same Catholic church as that on Thursday of a nine-year-old killed in the attack.
Ms Giffords, shot through the head, remains in critical condition but appears to be recovering, doctors said.
Jared Loughner, 22, is being held pending trial over the shooting, in which more than a dozen people were injured.
On Friday morning mourners began arriving at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Tucson, the city where the shooting occurred, amid heavy security.
Dozens of Mr Roll's colleagues on the bench were expected to arrive by bus. Other dignitaries expected were Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Arizona Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl and former Vice-President Dan Quayle.
Mr Roll was appointed to the US District Court for Arizona by President George Bush Sr in 1991 on Mr McCain's recommendation, and was described as a devoted, talented and gentle man.
"His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the ninth circuit," President Barack Obama said at a memorial service on Wednesday.
'Not the target' He was a graduate of the University of Arizona, and attended Mass every day, including the morning before the shooting.
Mr Roll reportedly received death threats in 2009 when he allowed a $32m (£21m) lawsuit filed by illegal immigrants against an Arizona rancher to proceed. More than 200 threatening phone calls were made to his office on one day.
Officials at the time said many of the threats were stirred up by right-wing talk radio. He received police protection for a month as a result.
Authorities have said Mr Roll was not the target of the attack - Ms Giffords was - but have said he stopped by the store after Mass to say hello to Ms Giffords and possibly to talk to her about overcrowding on the court docket.
His funeral comes a day after 2,000 mourners packed into that church for the funeral of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, also killed in the shooting.
Meanwhile, Ms Giffords's doctors said on Friday morning that she has begun more frequently to open her eyes and was able to carry out increasingly complex actions on command.
"We're very encouraged that she's continuing to make all the right moves in the right direction," Dr Michael Lemole told reporters. "We couldn't have hoped for any better improvement than we're seeing now, given the severity of her injury."
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