US Congress woman Giffords' condition no longer critical after rally shooting

Doctors said Giffords' condition was upgraded because she was successfully taken off a ventilator since her breathing tube was replaced with a tracheotomy tube in her windpipe to protect her airways on Saturday.

Giffords, who has had brain surgery, had been breathing on her own since the shooting in Tucson, but the breathing tube had been left until now as a precaution. In all, six people died in the shooting, which sent shock waves across the US.

Gunman Jared Lee Loughner, an allegedly 22-year-old college dropout, was arrested after he opened fire as Ms Giffords was holding a constituency meeting on 8 January. More than a dozen people were also injured. He has been charged with several offences and could face the death penalty if found guilty.

On Sunday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand confirmed Giffords was "doing great" and "making progress every day".

"She's using both sides of her body. She's able to breathe on her own. She's able to open her eyes and to show people she understands what she's hearing and seeing," she said. "It's an extraordinary amount of progress for a woman who sustained such a horrific injury.”