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[h=1]Gabby Giffords still loves guns: Shot congresswoman watches husband take target practice with same model of weapon that nearly killed her[/h] By Daniel Bates
PUBLISHED: 07:53 EST, 9 April 2013 | UPDATED: 09:11 EST, 9 April 2013
Gabby Giffords husband likes to do target practice with exactly the same kind of gun which was used to shoot her - as she cheers him on from their porch.
Mark Kelly shoots pots and water bottles at a family ranch in Arizona with a Glock 9mm whilst the former Congresswoman shouts: Excellent! excellent! with a smile on her face.
The same gun was allegedly used by Jared Loughner in January 2011 to shoot her in the head on his rampage which left six dead and five others injured.
Scroll down for video.
Gun owner: Mark Kelly proudly shoots a Glock 9mm at a family ranch in Tucson, Arizona
No objections: Gabby Giffords sits with her mother on the porch to cheer on her husband during target practice
In an interview with CNN Mr Kelly also revealed that he had originally given the firearm to Giffords as a gift but that he now used it himself - and it was OK as they both love gun culture.
The admission is likely to provoke a firestorm as Mr Kelly has already been branded a hypocrite for buying an assault rifle on the day he and Giffords gave a talk on the need for tougher gun control.
The couple have campaigned for a ban on the sale of assault rifles since the shooting of Giffords, who was blasted in the head during Loughners alleged rampage, leaving her with near fatal brain injuries which she has not yet recovered from.
The couple gave CNN an interview at Giffords mothers home during which Mr Kelly showed off his shooting prowess by putting on ear protectors and blasting pot plants and water bottles nearby.
Weapon: Kelly revealed that he had originally given the firearm to Giffords as a gift but that he now used it himself
Enthusiasts: The couple admit they still love the 'gun culture' and argue that their knowledge of guns gives them more credibility with the gun lobby
The footage shows Giffords, 42, and her mother sitting next to her, both with a big grin on their faces.
Mr Kelly, 49, a retired astronaut, said: This is the same kind of gun Gabby was shot with, a 9mm Glock.
But in that case it had a magazine that held 33 rounds. This, when it's full, holds 17. Every round hit somebody (during Miss Giffords shooting).
I gave this to Gabby as a gift a number of years ago. She's a gun owner. She's from the West.
Gabby used to like shooting a gun too occasionally,' and she agreed, saying Yes, yes.
The couple admit they still love the gun culture and argue that their knowledge of guns gives them more credibility with the gun lobby and the National Rifle Association.
They have made themselves strident gun campaigners and Giffords face is now on a huge billboard in New Yorks Times Square asking for tougher checks on those buying firearms.
Activists: The couple has made themselves strident gun campaigners and Giffords¿ face is now on a huge billboard in New York's Times Square asking for tougher checks on those buying firearms
She recently wrote an opinion piece in a local newspaper in Aurora, Colorado, where alleged shooter James Holmes is said to have shot dead 12 people and wounded 58 during a cinema rampage.
The couple also founded Americans for Responsible Solutions gun control group and have been touring the country in recent months in support of expanded background checks for gun purchases.
Giffords, then a U.S. Representative, was among 13 people wounded in a January 2011 shooting as she met with constituents outside a Tucson supermarket.
She resigned from Congress last year as she continues to recover from her injuries.
Mr Kelly bought the assault rifle in March at a gun shop in Tucson to show how easy it was to buy such a weapon.
But after his motives became public the shop owner refused to hand it over and gave him a refund, claiming that it was not for personal use so he could not sell it.
At the time, Todd Rathner, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association's affiliate in Arizona and a national NRA board member, questioned the point that Mr Kelly was trying to make.
He said: If you believe him, it's a cheap publicity stunt. If you don't, then he was speculating on the value of the rifle because he knew the prices would be inflated.
[h=1]Gabby Giffords still loves guns: Shot congresswoman watches husband take target practice with same model of weapon that nearly killed her[/h] By Daniel Bates
PUBLISHED: 07:53 EST, 9 April 2013 | UPDATED: 09:11 EST, 9 April 2013
Gabby Giffords husband likes to do target practice with exactly the same kind of gun which was used to shoot her - as she cheers him on from their porch.
Mark Kelly shoots pots and water bottles at a family ranch in Arizona with a Glock 9mm whilst the former Congresswoman shouts: Excellent! excellent! with a smile on her face.
The same gun was allegedly used by Jared Loughner in January 2011 to shoot her in the head on his rampage which left six dead and five others injured.
Scroll down for video.
Gun owner: Mark Kelly proudly shoots a Glock 9mm at a family ranch in Tucson, Arizona 
No objections: Gabby Giffords sits with her mother on the porch to cheer on her husband during target practiceIn an interview with CNN Mr Kelly also revealed that he had originally given the firearm to Giffords as a gift but that he now used it himself - and it was OK as they both love gun culture.
The admission is likely to provoke a firestorm as Mr Kelly has already been branded a hypocrite for buying an assault rifle on the day he and Giffords gave a talk on the need for tougher gun control.
The couple have campaigned for a ban on the sale of assault rifles since the shooting of Giffords, who was blasted in the head during Loughners alleged rampage, leaving her with near fatal brain injuries which she has not yet recovered from.
The couple gave CNN an interview at Giffords mothers home during which Mr Kelly showed off his shooting prowess by putting on ear protectors and blasting pot plants and water bottles nearby.
Weapon: Kelly revealed that he had originally given the firearm to Giffords as a gift but that he now used it himself
Enthusiasts: The couple admit they still love the 'gun culture' and argue that their knowledge of guns gives them more credibility with the gun lobbyThe footage shows Giffords, 42, and her mother sitting next to her, both with a big grin on their faces.
Mr Kelly, 49, a retired astronaut, said: This is the same kind of gun Gabby was shot with, a 9mm Glock.
But in that case it had a magazine that held 33 rounds. This, when it's full, holds 17. Every round hit somebody (during Miss Giffords shooting).
I gave this to Gabby as a gift a number of years ago. She's a gun owner. She's from the West.
Gabby used to like shooting a gun too occasionally,' and she agreed, saying Yes, yes.
The couple admit they still love the gun culture and argue that their knowledge of guns gives them more credibility with the gun lobby and the National Rifle Association.
They have made themselves strident gun campaigners and Giffords face is now on a huge billboard in New Yorks Times Square asking for tougher checks on those buying firearms.
Activists: The couple has made themselves strident gun campaigners and Giffords¿ face is now on a huge billboard in New York's Times Square asking for tougher checks on those buying firearmsShe recently wrote an opinion piece in a local newspaper in Aurora, Colorado, where alleged shooter James Holmes is said to have shot dead 12 people and wounded 58 during a cinema rampage.
The couple also founded Americans for Responsible Solutions gun control group and have been touring the country in recent months in support of expanded background checks for gun purchases.
Giffords, then a U.S. Representative, was among 13 people wounded in a January 2011 shooting as she met with constituents outside a Tucson supermarket.
She resigned from Congress last year as she continues to recover from her injuries.
Mr Kelly bought the assault rifle in March at a gun shop in Tucson to show how easy it was to buy such a weapon.
But after his motives became public the shop owner refused to hand it over and gave him a refund, claiming that it was not for personal use so he could not sell it.
At the time, Todd Rathner, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association's affiliate in Arizona and a national NRA board member, questioned the point that Mr Kelly was trying to make.
He said: If you believe him, it's a cheap publicity stunt. If you don't, then he was speculating on the value of the rifle because he knew the prices would be inflated.
