BULLETIN: Jared Lee Loughner Sentenced To Life In Federal Prison For Shootings That Claimed Lives Of Federal Judge, 5 Others — And Seriously Wounded Rep. Gabby Giffords

Jared Lee Loughner, the Arizona man who advanced conspiracy theories and babbled about gold and currency prior to opening fire at a Saturday morning constituents’ event sponsored by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, has been sentenced to life in federal prison.

A news conference with federal prosecutors in the office of U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo is under way in Arizona. (More details later.)

Loughner’s murderous assault in January 2011 claimed the lives of U.S. District Judge John Roll and five others, including a nine-year-old girl, three senior citizens in their seventies and a 30-year-old Congressional aide engaged to be married. Rep. Giffords was shot in the head and nearly died. Her district director, Ron Barber, also was seriously injured. Barber later replaced Giffords, who still is recovering from her wounds and is living a life turned upside down, in Congress.

The incident sparked a national outrage. President Obama issued a special statement from the White House and flew to Arizona, assuming the role of comforter-in-chief to a community overcome by grief.

“I plead the Fifth,” Loughner reportedly said after being subdued by heroic bystanders and taken into police custody.

Just last week, Barber attended an event to honor Christina-Taylor Green, the nine-year-old killed in the attack.