A veteran city firefighter's refusal to respond to the Jan. 8 shooting spree, citing "political bantering," may have slowed his Tucson Fire Department unit's response to the incident that left six dead and 13 wounded, city memos show. 
 
 The firefighter, Mark Ekstrum, retired from his 28-year career two days later, while his supervisors were still considering how to discipline him, internal memos obtained by the Arizona Daily Star in a public-records request show. 
 
 In a Jan. 9 report on Ekstrum's actions, fire Capt. Ben Williams wrote that when Ekstrum first told him he would not go out on the call, "he mentioned something about 'political bantering' and he did not want to be part of it." He said he was acting "for the good of the crew." 
 
 Williams said he told Ekstrum he could not refuse a call for that reason, and then talked to the firefighter privately in his office. He said Ekstrum "started to say something about how he had a much different political viewpoint than the rest of the crew and he was concerned." Despite being told that was not acceptable, Williams said Ekstrum informed him he was going home "sick," so they answered the call without him. 
 
 In a statement provided to the Fire Department late Wednesday, after he was contacted by the Star about the incident, Ekstrum said he was distraught over the shootings and had no problem with U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is recovering from a bullet wound to the brain, and even voted for her in the last election. 
 
 Ekstrum was on duty at a station on the far southeast side and was part of a team specially trained to handle large medical emergencies. While the crew was not among those called first to the shooting scene - they were not dispatched until about 90 minutes after the shootings - a memo from Ekstrum's supervisor said his actions caused "confusion and delay" in the emergency circumstances. The department previously sent several paramedic units to the Safeway at North Oracle Road and West Ina Road. 
 
 The Fire Department later backtracked from that statement, saying Ekstrum's actions caused delay during the preparatory process, but did not cause a delay of the actual call. 
 
 However, one of the fire engines had to stop at another fire station to pick up personnel to take Ekstrum's place. 
 
 Crews at Tucson Fire's Station 6,10251 S. Wilmot Road, were dispatched at 12:03 p.m. Jan. 8, seven minutes after the last patient arrived at the hospital, said Joe Gulotta, an assistant fire chief. They responded as a support crew, in a non-emergency way with the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS), a large delivery truck with tents, medical supplies, water and cots, used after the shootings to assist those who were not seriously injured. 
 
 Williams said he told Ekstrum they all have differences, but they put those differences aside and respond as professionals, the memo said. However, Ekstrum said "I'm leaving, I am going home," the memo said, and Williams said at that time he realized arguing was pointless and time was wasting so he told Ekstrum to go. 
 
 After the crew returned from the call, Ekstrum was waiting at the station with his wife and asked if he could come in to apologize to the crew, the memo said. The crew accepted his apology, and then Williams talked in his office with Ekstrum and his wife. 
 
 "He stated that there were underlying issues regarding the call that brought up a lot of anger and made him ineffective as a firefighter," the memo said. "I told him that as his captain I had lost confidence in his future ability to perform his duties. He stated that he felt this call was unique and did not think this would happen again." 
 
 When contacted at his house Wednesday, and later by telephone, Ekstrum declined to comment. 
 
 However, in the statement he submitted to the department late Wednesday - a statement the department was not expecting - he said he was distraught over the shootings and was "distracted to the point of not being able to perform my routine station duties to such an extent that I seriously doubted my ability to focus on an emergency call." 
 
 He said he failed to effectively communicate that was the reason he needed to go home and "my communication centered more on how this event would affect the country and them and us, and, of course, led to their misunderstanding about my need to go home because I was at a point of distraction." 
 
 Ekstrum said he realized the next day, "I had crossed a line with myself in relation to our citizens. I should have been there, regardless of how responsible I was attempting to be from the standpoint of distraction." 
 
 Ekstrum said he decided to retire right then, without knowing that the Tucson Fire Department was starting a disciplinary action against him. 
 
 He said in his statement that he voted for Giffords in the last election, and spoke with her early on in her tenure about a communication vehicle that TFD had for mass-casualty incidents. "She asked many pertinent and intelligent questions," Ekstrum said. "She has always impressed me as a person that was willing to listen." 
 
 Ekstrum has been registered as an independent since 1999, Pima County Recorder's Office records show, after being registered as a Democrat for the previous 17 years. He did not appear to be very politically active. The records show he hadn't voted in a primary election in 28 years and his name couldn't be found in campaign finance records as a donor. 
 
 Williams recommended a 20-day suspension, the maximum sanction for a first time offense. In his memo, he said, "I look forward to getting past this incident so that we may work together again in the future." 
 
 However, Gulotta initially said Ekstrum's behavior fit the "most egregious category in our discipline matrix," and he likely would have faced termination if he had not retired. 
 
 But later, after seeing Ekstrum's Wednesday statement, Gulotta said the department's reaction to Ekstrum's actions would have been different. It would have first sent him to a city doctor to measure his fitness for duty and then could have simply disciplined him, or potentially fired him, but Gulotta said exactly what would have happened is unknown. 
 
 Fire Union President Roger Tamietti declined to comment on Ekstrum because Ekstrum was not a member of the fire union. 
 
 In his 28 years with Tucson Fire, Ekstrum had positive reviews and was given "exceed standards" on most of his evaluations. Williams said in his memo that Ekstrum's work ethic and performance had been exemplary and professional. 
 
 In early 2010, Ekstrum used two weeks' vacation time to volunteer in Haiti and help the victims of the earthquake, according to his personnel file. 
 
 He was only reprimanded once, an oral reprimand in 1984 for backing his vehicle into an object, Gulotta said. 
 
 City Manager Mike Letcher said the department took the appropriate action over the Jan. 8 incident, but he is concerned his office didn't know about it until this week. 
 
 On StarNet: Read more about the shooting and its aftermath at azstarnet.com/giffords 
 
 Contact reporter Fernanda Echavarri at fechavarri@azstarnet.com or 573-4224. Contact reporter Rob O'Dell at rodell@azstarnet.com or 573-4346. ||||| U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head Saturday when an assailant opened fire outside a grocery store during a meeting with constituents, killing at least five people and wounding several others in a rampage that rattled the nation. 
 
 People talk at the scene of a shooting involving Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., on Jan. 8, 2011 in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Arizona Daily Star, Dean Knuth) NO MAGS, NO SALES, MANDATORY CREDIT (Associated Press) 
 
 Emergency personnel stand at the scene of a shooting that authorities claim involved Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Arizona Daily Star, Dean Knuth)... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2011 file photo, House Speaker John Boehner reenacts the swearing in of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congressional officials say Giffords has... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shows Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona's 8th Congressional District. Congressional officials say Rep. Gabrielle... (Associated Press) 
 
 Emergency officials work at the scene of a shooting that authorities claim involved Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris... (Associated Press) 
 
 Giffords was among at least 10 people wounded, and the hospital said her outlook was "optimistic" and that she was responding to commands from doctors. The hospital said a 9-year-old child was among those killed, and a U.S. Marshal said a federal judge was also fatally shot in the attack. 
 
 Giffords spokesman C.J. Karamargin said an unspecified number of her staff members were injured in the shooting. Congressional officials said an aide to Giffords was killed, and President Barack Obama said five people died in all. 
 
 Police say the shooter was in custody, and was identified by people familiar with the investigation as Jared Loughner, 22. Pima County Sheriff's officials said he used a pistol to carry out the shooting spree. U.S. officials who provided his name to the AP spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release it publicly. 
 
 The shooting prompted an outpouring of sympathy from politicians and people around the country. Obama called the shooting "an unspeakable tragedy" and that such "a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society." Obama sent his FBI director to oversee the investigation. 
 
 "It's not surprising that today Gabby was doing what she always does, listening to the hopes and concerns of her neighbors," Obama said in a nationally televised news conference. "That is the essence of what our democracy is about." 
 
 Federal law enforcement officials were poring over captured versions of a MySpace page that belonged to Jared Loughner and over Youtube video published to the Internet weeks ago under an account "Classitup10" and linked to him. The MySpace page, which was removed within minutes of the gunman being identified by U.S. officials, included a mysterious "Goodbye friends" message published hours before the shooting which exhorted his friends to "Please don't be mad at me." 
 
 In one of several Youtube videos, which featured text against a dark background, Loughner described inventing a new U.S. currency and complained about the illiteracy rate among people living in Giffords' congressional district in Arizona. Two spellings of his last name were given in the aftermath of the shooting _ Loughner and Laughner. 
 
 "I know who's listening: Government Officials, and the People," Loughner wrote. "Nearly all the people, who don't know this accurate information of a new currency, aren't aware of mind control and brainwash methods. If I have my civil rights, then this message wouldn't have happen (sic)." 
 
 Three hours after the shooting, the L-shaped shopping center in Tucson was blocked off by police and had fire trucks and other vehicles in its parking lot that blocked the view of the store's front door. No shell casings could be seen from the area 500 yards (460 meters) from the store where reporters and photographers were kept. 
 
 Outside Giffords' office on Capitol Hill, a handful of congressional staffers could be seen walking into her office without comment, some with roller bags and one who was in tears. About a half dozen yellow flowers, placed by one mourner, sat outside the door. 
 
 U.S. Marshal for Arizona David Gonzales confirmed to the Associated Press that U.S. District Judge John Roll also died in the attack. 
 
 Giffords, 40, was re-elected to her third term last November. She was a member of the Arizona House and Senate before coming to Washington. 
 
 Giffords tweeted shortly before the shooting, describing her "Congress on Your Corner" event: "My 1st Congress on Your Corner starts now. Please stop by to let me know what is on your mind or tweet me later." 
 
 Giffords is married to astronaut Mark E. Kelly, who has piloted space shuttles Endeavour and Discovery. The two met in China in 2003 while they were serving on a committee there, and were married in January 2007. 
 
 In a statement of condolence, Sen. Bill Nelson, chairman of the Senate Commerce Space and Science Subcommittee, said her husband is training to be the commander of the next space shuttle mission slated for April. His astronaut brother is currently serving aboard the International Space Station, he said. 
 
 Giffords was first elected to Congress amid a wave of Democratic victories in the 2006 election, and she won a narrow victory against a favorite of the ultraconservative tea party movement in the 2010 election. 
 
 She has been mentioned as a possible Democratic nominee in 2012 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Jon Kyl, who has not said whether he'll run again, or for the governor's office in 2014. 
 
 The shooting comes amid a highly charged political environment that has seen several dangerous threats against lawmakers but nothing that reached the point of actual violence. 
 
 A San Francisco man upset with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's support of health care reform pleaded guilty to threatening the Democratic congresswoman and her family, calling her directly on March 25 and threatening to destroy her Northern California home if she voted for health care reform. 
 
 In July, a California man known for his anger over left-leaning politics engaged in a shootout with highway patrol officers after planning an attack on the American Civil Liberties Union and another nonprofit group. The man said he wanted to "start a revolution" by killing people at the ACLU and the Tides Foundation. 
 
 Giffords herself has drawn the ire of the right, especially for her support of Obama's health care reform bill from politicians like Sarah Palin. 
 
 Her Tucson office was vandalized a few hours after the House vote to approve the health care law in March, with someone either kicking or shooting out a glass door and window. In an interview after the vandalism, Giffords referred to the animosity against her by conservatives. Palin listed Giffords' seat as one of the top "targets" in the November elections because of the lawmakers' support for the health care law. 
 
 "For example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list, but the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action," Giffords said in an interview with MSNBC. 
 
 In the hours after the shooting, Palin issued a statement in which she expressed her "sincere condolences" to the family of Giffords and the other victims. 
 
 Capitol police responded to the shooting by advising lawmakers and their staff to "take reasonable and prudent precautions regarding their personal security." 
 
 Despite her clashes with the right, Giffords describes herself as a former Republican and current Blue Dog Democrat. The Blue Dogs are moderate centrist Democrats. 
 
 "You know, actually as a former Republican, you know, I consider myself someone who is pretty in the middle, I'm a blue dog Democrat, and one that is interested in making sure that our country maintains our prosperity and frankly, our superiority over other countries and that's where we look at these threat, obviously our defense budget, our level of education," she said in an interview with Fox News earlier this week. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press Writers Jacques Billeaud, Pauline Arrillaga and Paul Davenport in Phoenix and Matt Apuzzo in Washington contributed to this report. Espo contributed from Washington. ||||| U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head Saturday, an aide was killed, and an unknown number of others were wounded when an assailant opened fire outside a grocery store as the Democratic lawmaker met with constituents, officials said. 
 
 People talk at the scene of a shooting involving Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., on Jan. 8, 2011 in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Arizona Daily Star, Dean Knuth) NO MAGS, NO SALES, MANDATORY CREDIT (Associated Press) 
 
 People gather at the scene of a shooting involving Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris Morrison) (Associated Press) 
 
 Emergency workers gather at the scene of a shooting involving Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris Morrison) (Associated Press) 
 
 Emergency personnel work the scene of a shooting that authorities claim involved Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Arizona Daily Star, Dean Knuth)... (Associated Press) 
 
 Emergency personnel stand at the scene of a shooting that authorities claim involved Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Arizona Daily Star, Dean Knuth)... (Associated Press) 
 
 Map locates Tucson, Arizona, where Congresswoman Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot among others at a store (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2011 file photo, House Speaker John Boehner reenacts the swearing in of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congressional officials say Giffords has... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shows Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona's 8th Congressional District. Congressional officials say Rep. Gabrielle... (Associated Press) 
 
 Emergency officials work at the scene of a shooting that authorities claim involved Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris... (Associated Press) 
 
 C.J. Karamargin, a spokesman for Giffords, said the congresswoman was in surgery as of 1 p.m. local time and that an unspecified number of Giffords' staff members were wonded in the shooting. Karamargin said he had no other information on the conditions of the wounded or on the circumstances of the shooting. 
 
 Congressional officials said an aide to Giffords was killed, and an unknown number of others were wounded, including staffers to the lawmaker. 
 
 President Barack Obama called the shooting "an unspeakable tragedy" and that such "a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society. 
 
 U.S. Capitol police say the shooter is in custody. One official said he carried out the attack with an automatic weapon. The officials who described the events did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not permitted to comment publicly. 
 
 "I am horrified by the senseless attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and members of her staff," newly elected House Speaker John Boehner said. "An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve. Acts and threats of violence against public officials have no place in our society. Our prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her staff, all who were injured, and their families. This is a sad day for our country." 
 
 Three hours after the shooting, the L-shaped shopping center in Tucson was blocked off by police and had fire trucks and other vehicles in its parking lot that blocked the view of the store's front door. No shell casings could be seen from the area 500 yards (460 meters) from the store where reporters and photographers were kept. 
 
 Giffords, 40, was re-elected to her third term last November. She was a member of the Arizona House and Senate before coming to Washington. 
 
 Giffords tweeted shortly before the shooting, saying: "My 1st Congress on Your Corner starts now. Please stop by to let me know what is on your mind or tweet me later." 
 
 Giffords is married to astronaut Mark E. Kelly, who has piloted space shuttles Endeavour and Discovery. The two met in China in 2003 while they were serving on a committee there, and were married in January 2007. 
 
 Giffords was first elected to Congress amid a wave of Democratic victories in the 2006 election, and she won a narrow victory against a Republican backed by the ultraconservative tea party movement in the 2010 election. 
 
 She has been mentioned as a possible Democratic nominee in 2012 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Jon Kyl, who has not said whether he'll run again, or for the governor's office in 2014. 
 
 The shooting comes amid a highly charged political environment that has seen several dangerous threats against lawmakers but nothing that reached the point of actual violence. 
 
 A San Francisco man upset with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's support of health care reform pleaded guilty to threatening the Democratic congresswoman and her family, calling her directly on March 25 and threatening to destroy her Northern California home if she voted for health care reform. 
 
 In July, a California man known for his anger over left-leaning politics engaged in a shootout with highway patrol officers after planning an attack on the American Civil Liberties Union and another nonprofit group. The man said he wanted to "start a revolution" by killing people at the ACLU and the Tides Foundation. 
 
 Giffords herself has drawn the ire of the right, especially for her support of the health care bill from politicians like former Arizona Gov. Sarah Palin. 
 
 Her Tucson office was vandalized a few hours after the House vote to approve the health care law in March, with someone either kicking or shooting out a glass door and window. 
 
 Despite the animosity she has generated from the right, Giffords describes herself as a former Republican and a Blue Dog Democrat. The Blue Dogs are moderate centrist Democrats. 
 
 "You know, actually as a former Republican, you know, I consider myself someone who is pretty in the middle, I'm a blue dog Democrat, and one that is interested in making sure that our country maintains our prosperity and frankly, our superiority over other countries and that's where we look at these threat, obviously our defense budget, our level of education," she said in an interview with Fox News this week. 
 
 ___ 
 
 AP Special Correspondent David Espo contributed to this report from Washington.
– A Tucson firefighter may have slowed down his unit’s response to the Jan. 8 shooting spree targeting Gabrielle Giffords—because he refused to go out on the call. According to city memos, Mark Ekstrum, a 28-year veteran, “mentioned something about 'political bantering' and he did not want to be part of it” when he refused, and said he was acting "for the good of the crew." Upon being told that wasn’t a valid reason for refusing a call, Ekstrum "started to say something about how he had a much different political viewpoint than the rest of the crew" then told his captain he was going home sick. As supervisors considered how to discipline him, he retired two days later, the Arizona Daily Star reports. Ekstrum’s refusal caused “confusion and delay” during the preparatory process, and one fire engine had to stop along the way to pick up a replacement, but his crew was not one of the initial teams on the scene; they responded in a support, not emergency, fashion. Ekstrum later apologized and explained in a statement that he doesn’t have any problem with Giffords and even voted for her in the last election, but that he was distraught over the shooting and thus “distracted to the point of not being able to perform my routine station duties to such an extent that I seriously doubted my ability to focus on an emergency call.” In lighter Giffords news, the Star notes that she sang “American Pie” over the weekend, and knew all the words.