Phoenix: The 22-year-old loner accused of trying to assassinate a US congresswoman and killing six others, appeared in court and looked on impassively as a judge told him he could face the death penalty for the shooting rampage that shocked the nation.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords lay about 160 kilometres away in an intensive care unit, gravely wounded after being shot through the head but able to give a thumbs-up sign that doctors found as a reason to hope.
Thirteen other people were wounded in the bursts of gunfire at the Democratic congresswoman's outdoor meeting with constituents on Saturday outside a Tucson, Arizona, supermarket. Loughner was tackled to the ground minutes after the shooting began, authorities said.
He has been silent ever since.
The shootings, which claimed the lives of six people, including a federal judge, a congressional aide and a nine-year-old girl, have prompted outrage throughout the US and sparked a debate over gun control measures and whether toxic political rhetoric fuelled the incident.
Impassive
Jared Loughner, his head shaved, a cut on his right temple and in handcuffs, stared vacantly at the packed courtroom before sitting down to listen to whispered instructions from his newly-appointed attorney, Judy Clarke.
A veteran of death cases, the San Diego attorney succeeded in negotiating a guilty plea and a life sentence for the "Unabomber," Theodore Kaczynski.
Loughner seemed impassive and at one point stood at a lectern in his beige prison jumpsuit.
A US marshal stood guard nearby.
The judge asked if he understood that he could get life in prison — or the death penalty — for killing federal Judge John Roll, in the shooting rampage.
"Yes," he said. His lawyer stood beside him as the judge ordered Loughner held without bail.
Throngs of reporters and television news crews lined up outside the federal courthouse, where the hearing was moved from Tucson. The entire federal bench in Tucson recused itself because Roll was the chief judge there.
President Barack Obama will travel to Tucson today to speak at a memorial service for the victims at the University of Arizona.
Earlier in the day, the nation observed a moment of silence for the victims, from the South Lawn of the White House and the steps of the US Capitol to legislatures beyond Arizona and the planet itself.
At the International Space Station, Giffords' brother-in-law, Scott Kelly, the commanding officer, spoke over the radio as flight controllers in Houston fell silent.
"As I look out the window, I see a very beautiful planet that seems very inviting and peaceful," he said. "Unfortunately, it is not.
"These days, we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts of violence and damage we can inflict upon one another, not just with our actions, but also with our irresponsible words," he said.
"We're better than this," he said. "We must do better."
Moments of silence
On a frigid morning outside the White House, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama stood side by side, each with their hands clasped, heads bowed and eyes closed.
On the steps of the US Capitol, congressional staff and other employees did the same.
At the Supreme Court, the justices paused for a moment of silence between the two cases they were hearing on Monday morning.
The president called for the country to come together in prayer or reflection for those killed and those fighting to recover.
"In the coming days, we're going to have a lot of time to reflect," he said.
"Right now the main thing we're doing is to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who've been impacted, making sure we're joining together and pulling together as a country."
Later on Monday, a moment of silence was held at the BCS national college football championship between Oregon and Auburn in Glendale, Arizona.
