(CNN) -- The U.S. Attorney's Office said it is not
confirming or denying reports that Jared Loughner will plead guilty in last
year's shooting rampage outside a Tucson, Arizona, supermarket.
The attack killed six people and
wounded 13 others, including then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
On Saturday night, the Los
Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal reported that Loughner, 23, is now
mentally competent to understand the charges against him and that a status
hearing on his competency, scheduled for Tuesday morning, will now be a
change-of-plea hearing.
The Los Angeles Times attributed
the information to "knowledgeable sources," while the Wall Street Journal said its
source was an "official familiar with the case."
"I can neither confirm or deny
the reports in the L.A. Times and other media about the Loughner case," Bill
Solomon, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona, told CNN when
asked about the reports late Saturday night.
Asked if his office planned to
issue a comment Monday, Solomon said, there was "nothing planned at this
time."
The attack took place during a
January 8, 2011, meet-and-greet event for Giffords. Among those killed was
Arizona's chief federal judge, John Roll.
Giffords, who was shot in the
head, stepped down from her position in Congress in January 2012 in order to
focus on her recovery. Ron Barber, an aide also wounded in the attack, now holds
the seat.
Loughner was facing the
possibility of a death sentence if convicted. However, a plea deal -- if one is
in the works -- may mean that he would admit guilt in exchange for a lengthy
prison sentence.
Prosecutors have said that
Loughner, who spent time on suicide watch, suffers from schizophrenia. His
mental condition has been central to much of the related court proceedings since
the mass shooting.
In February, a federal judge
ruled Loughner could receive medical treatment for another four months. A
psychologist found "measurable progress" in the suspect's condition.
The medical treatment plan for
Loughner was aimed at improving his mental state so he will be competent to
stand trial.
Loughner was declared
incompetent to stand trial in May 2011 after an initial evaluation term at a
federal mental hospital in Springfield, Missouri.
In July 2011, bizarre and
suicidal actions by Loughner while in custody pushed a federal appeals panel to
allow authorities to force the defendant to take anti-psychotic medication.
Prosecutors said then that
Loughner had been deteriorating: He displayed screaming and crying fits that
lasted hours, harmed himself and made claims that the radio was inserting
thoughts into his head.
His attorneys consistently
fought court rulings that Loughner continue his treatment at the hospital.
In November, defense attorney
Ellis Johnston argued before a different federal judge that the side effects of
the psychotropic drugs his client had been receiving during his court-ordered
treatment may interfere with Loughner's ability to work with his attorneys.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney
Christina Cabanillas said that Loughner "could revert to being a danger to
himself" if the medication were halted.
Court documents released a few
days after the shooting showed that investigators found a letter from Giffords
in a safe at the house where Loughner lived with his parents, thanking him for
attending a 2007 event.
"Also recovered in the safe was
an envelope with handwriting on the envelope stating 'I planned ahead,' and 'my
assassination' and the name 'Giffords,' along with what appears to be Loughner's
signature," the affidavit stated.
