Doctors at University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz. said Thursday that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has reached a "major milestone" in her recovery following an assassination attempt on Saturday.
Giffords is now able to open both eyes and appears to be becoming aware of her surroundings, the doctors explained at a news conference.
The news comes one day after President Obama addressed a memorial in Tucson, where he revealed that Giffords opened an eye for the first time since the shooting shortly after he left the hospital earlier that day. Several of Giffords' friends and congressional colleagues, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, were on hand when the milestone occurred.
Meanwhile, previously unseen documents shed new light on alleged shooter Jared Loughner.
For four years, Loughner was an unremarkable college student, commuting to classes near his home where he studied yoga and algebra, business management and poetry.
But last year, his classroom conduct began to change. In February, Loughner stunned a teacher by talking about blowing up babies, a bizarre outburst that marked the start of a rapid unraveling for the 22-year old, who is accused of slaying six people and wounding 13, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
After his first flare-up, campus police decided not to intervene.
"I suggested they keep an eye on him," an officer wrote.
Loughner's on-campus behavior grew increasingly erratic, menacing, even delusional. Fifty-one pages of police reports released Wednesday provided a chilling portrait of Loughner's last school year, which ended in September when he was judged mentally unhinged and suspended by Pima Community College.
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