Lawsuit allegedly filed by man who shot Gabby Giffords could be a hoax
A lawsuit that was originally believed to have been filed by the gunman who shot former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords in a mass shooting in Arizona in 2011 could be a hoax.
A federal court official told KPNX late Wednesday the $25 million suit reportedly filed by Jared Lee Loughner was actually written by "another mentally disturbed prisoner in Philadelphia who is impersonating Loughner."
Here's a look at the letter/envelope sent by the inmate:
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The federal court filing blames Giffords for emotional and psychological distress, claiming he is innocent and was "hand-picked" to be an assassin.
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The two-page suit reads, in part, "My incarceration is illegal. I am actually innocent. I was framed." It also claims the government put a chip in his head and that Giffords only pretended to be shot and is part of a "global plot to take away our civil liberties."
Loughner is currently serving time in Rochester, Minnesota. But this suit was apparently postmarked in Philadelphia, which is where a hoax lawsuit was filed earlier this month in the name of the Uber driver accused of shooting eight people in Kalamazoo, Michigan in February.
Loughner reportedly has a history of mental illness, something the judge knew before his sentencing. According to CNN, the judge said, "The evidence clearly shows that he knew what he was doing, despite his mental illness." He sentenced Loughner to seven consecutive life terms plus 140 years.
The 2011 shooting left Giffords permanently injured, but she has made a pretty impressive recovery and has even hit the campaign trail recently to stump for Hillary Clinton.
"Speaking is hard for me, but come January, I want to say these two words: Madam President," Giffords said in a recent speech.
