Jared Lee Loughner ruled unfit to stand trial for shooting of Rep. Giffords

LOS ANGELES – A US judge ruled Wednesday that Jared Loughner was unfit to stand trial over charges he tried to assassinate a US congresswoman and killed six other people in Arizona, US media reported.

Loughner had to be removed from court in Tucson after making an outburst at a hearing to decide if he was mentally competent to stand trial over the attack, which targeted lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords in January.

Judge Larry A. Burns said doctors found that Loughner has an irrational distrust of lawyers, and was therefore unable to help in his defense or understand the court proceedings, the Arizona Star reported online.

Loughner, 22, was arrested after the shooting at a public meeting Giffords held in Tucson on January 8, which triggered a wave of soul-searching over America's starkly divisive political culture.