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Local Students Reflect On AZ Shooting

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- As the nation paused to remember the victims of this weekend's deadly shooting in Arizona, some local students reflected on the tragedy and learned a lesson in democracy.

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords remains in intensive care following the Tuscon shooting rampage that claimed the lives of six people, including Federal Judge John Roll, who was a Pittsburgh native.

While President Barack Obama led the nation in a moment of silence, the 1400 students at Taylor Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill paused to remember the lives lost.

Teachers told KDKA that some students came to school today a number of questions; but the toughest question for them to answer is why the gunman opened fire.

While some believe the shooting is the result of political discourse, history teacher Paul Schaltenbrand said he thinks it's important to try to learn from the tragedy.

Schaltenbrand says the values of this country's democracy should not be challenged or changed because of the actions of just one person.

"You can't control somebody's reaction to this degree and sometimes these things need to be worked out," Schaltenbrand added, "and a limit on that would be a limit on democracy, which would be a really, really bad outcome."

Flags will fly at half staff at city and federal buildings for the remainder of the week and administrators at Allderdice say they will be doing the same.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have charged Jared Loughner, 22, with attempted assassination of a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and two counts of attempting to kill a federal employee.

CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports that Loughner has not offered any motivation for the attack.

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