Gunman charged as lawmaker battles on

FEDERAL prosecutors last night charged the suspected gunman in the shooting of a US congresswoman.

Jared Loughner, 22, was charged with one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress and four other charges.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in an assassination attempt that killed six others, is able to respond to doctors’ commands, a surgeon said last night.