Official: Ariz. shooter posed in G-string with gun

The suspect in the mass shooting in Arizona posed for photos with a gun, dressed only in a bright red G-string, and had the film developed on the eve of the rampage that killed six people and gravely injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, authorities said Friday.

The most detailed timeline of Jared Loughner's busy 11 hours before the shooting was released by the Pima County Sheriff's Office. It begins with Loughner dropping off the 35mm film at a Walgreens at 11:35 p.m. Jan. 7, the night before the shooting. He checks into a motel about an hour later and at 2:19 a.m. Jan. 8 he picked up his developed photos.

A law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to do so confirmed the details of the photos, including that Loughner posed with a Glock semiautomatic pistol, the same one authorities said was used in the shooting.

Loughner posted "Goodbye friends" on his MySpace page at 4:12 a.m., then bought bullets and a backpack-style diaper bag at Walmart at 7:27 a.m., according to authorities. Three minutes later, he was pulled over by an Arizona Game and Fish Department officer, but he was let go. He wasn't acting suspicious and there was no reason to search the vehicle, the agency has said.

Loughner returned home about two hours later and was confronted by his dad when he removed a black bag from the family car. His father chased after Loughner, but he disappeared into the desert.

At 9:41 a.m., a cab driver picked him up from a convenience store and drove him to the supermarket where Giffords was holding her "Congress on Your Corner" event. The cabbie and Loughner went into the Safeway to get change for the fare, authorities said.

At 10:10 a.m., he opened fire, authorities said.

___

Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Pete Yost in Washington contributed to this report.