PHOENIX (AP) — Astronaut Scott Kelly has visited his sister-in-law, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, for the first time since she was wounded 2 ½ months ago in a mass shooting in Tucson.
Kelly was in the middle of a five-month space station mission for NASA when Giffords was shot in the head Jan. 8 while meeting with constituents. Six people were killed and 13 others were wounded, including Giffords.
The Arizona congresswoman is married to Kelly's identical twin, Mark Kelly.
Giffords' spokesman says Scott Kelly rushed back to Houston a day after landing in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian capsule last week and was able to visit her Friday evening.
The spokesman says it was an exciting reunion and Giffords "was beaming."
Mark Kelly is the commander of NASA's next shuttle flight on April 19.
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.