Thirty-three bullets in 19 seconds. That moment changed Jacquelyn Jackson’s life. It cut six lives short, and affected 13 others who were shot and injured.
Jackson lost several friends on Jan. 8, 2011, and watched some, including then-U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords fight for their lives.
In an essay AZPM published the week of the 2011 shooting, Jackson spoke about the loss of her peripheral vision in the face of trauma.
She reflects on that essay 15 years later: “Just hearing my voice, it kind of broke my heart because it was so vulnerable and it was very soon after that I did that and it felt good to share it and I got a lot of feedback from people.”
The shock of that day and the grief that has followed led Jackson to make changes in her own life, switching from politics to a career in writing and yoga instruction.
“There’s a recognition of how things can change on the dime and, you know, it was a beautiful Saturday morning at the Safeway and just out of the blue, everything changed. So I think it was very significant in my life,” she said.
Jackson had worked in Giffords’ office and happened to be shopping at the site of the shooting by chance. She called Giffords a “rogue,” a term Jackson is using in her new book “The Female Rogue,” which she said describes women who realize their inner strength.
“I’m so overwhelmed that she keeps giving back when so much was taken from her with that idiot bullet to the head. It’s just stunning what she’s done in her fierce living,” Jackson said.
Although she’s had a lot of personal growth since, she said the country has not made enough progress.
“I think there's a long way to go and we need to look at how much violence we have in this culture. It's kind of scary.”
