Located in Tucson’s El Presidio Park, adjacent to the Historic Pima County Courthouse, the January 8th Memorial will honor the victims and survivors of the January 8th tragedy, an unforgettable day in the history of our community, our state, and our nation. In 2011, a shooting occurred at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ Congress on your Corner event in Tucson that wounded 13 and killed six individuals who were participating in a fundamental act of democracy. The community came together in the days that followed to provide comfort and support to one another.

The memorial and it’s surrounding gardens represent a community embrace. In a single gesture, its landforms become healing arms protecting the inner memorial, where the story of January 8th is told. Carved into the landscape of El Presidio Park, the Memorial is a place of contemplation and reflection where visitors can honor the victims and survivors of this tragic event, who were there to engage in democracy, and the first responders who stopped the violence and saved lives. Symbols telling this story are cut and etched into this collective wall of memories, forming constellations that speak of the people who died, survived and responded on that day, and recall Tucson’s history of resilience. In the surrounding gardens, the earthforms of the Living Wall protect the Memorial. It evolves over time and changes with the seasons, yet it is timeless and spans generations, an organic landscape of stone and plants woven in a pattern that evokes ancient basket weaving. People plant seeds in its crevices, where life takes root, a celebration of Tucson’s togetherness in the face of tragedy, and a manifestation of the healing of its community.