Shot congresswoman Giffords taken off ventilator in Arizona

Tucson (Arizona, US), - US Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was in critical condition after being shot in Tucson, has reportedly been taken off a ventilator.

Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, and 18 others were shot last Saturday by a gunman outside a supermarket where Giffords was meeting with her constituents.

The BBC quoted hospital officials as saying that a tracheotomy tube has been inserted in her windpipe to protect her airways, freeing her from the breathing tube.

Giffords had been breathing on her own since the time she was admitted following the Tucson massacre, but the breathing tube had been left until now as a precaution, they added.

Meanwhile, doctors have claimed that Giffords, who has undergone a brain surgery, still remains in critical condition, but appears to be recovering.

Twenty two-year-old Jared Loughner, the gunman, has been charged with several offences and could face the death penalty if found guilty. (ANI)