Watch CBS News

Delahunt 'Stunned' By Giffords Shooting

BOSTON (CBS/AP) - Doctors say they are optimistic about Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' odds.

But they also add it can take months to learn the level of brain damage she might suffer from the gunshot to the head she took Saturday.

Surgeons said the bullet traveled the length of the left side of her brain, from back to front. That offers a better outlook than if it had hit both sides.

Former Massachusetts Congressman Bill Delahunt told WBZ-TV Sunday he was in an airport when he heard his friend and former colleague on the House Foreign Affairs Committee had been shot.

"I was just stunned, it was unbelievable and I was incredulous," he said.

"I had the opportunity to observe her and watch her mature and develop into an outstanding member, not just to the committee, but the House."

"It's not hyperbole to say that she really is a rising star and, God willing, she will be back."

Giffords is in a medically induced coma.

"If you do not let the people's representatives be assured of their personal safety then we all lose," Delahunt said.  "It isn't just the tragic deaths of those six people, it's a lot more."

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.