Watch CBS News

Youngest Arizona Victim Had Chicago Connection

TUCSON, Ariz. (CBS) -- The youngest victim of the Arizona shooting spree had ties to Chicago and the Cubs.

Christina-Taylor Green is the granddaughter of Dallas Green, the general manager of the Cubs from 1982 to 1987.

Green built the storied 1984 team featuring Ryne Sandberg, Keith Moreland, Jody Davis, and Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Rick Sutcliffe. With Manager Jim Frey at the helm, the team won the National League Championship series, bringing the Cubs their first trip to the playoffs in 39 years.

Christina was one of six people killed during a "Congress on Your Corner' event in Tucson, Ariz., Saturday. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shot in the head and critically wounded.

Christina's father, John Green, said his daughter wanted to follow in her grandfather's Major League footsteps.

"She wanted to play professional baseball," said John Green, a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. "She was the only girl on her Little League baseball team."

Christina's parents say the girl had just been elected to the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School and had been interested in politics from a young age. She already had told her parents she wanted to attend Penn State and have a career that involved helping those less fortunate than her.

The brown-eyed athletic girl loved to swim with her 11-year-old brother Dallas, her lone sibling. Her mother, Roxanna Green, said Christina also loved animals, singing, dancing and gymnastics.

The suspect in the shooting spree, Jared Loughner, 22, is due in court later Monday. He is charged with one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and two counts of attempting to kill a federal employee. More charges are expected.

Investigators carrying out a search warrant at his parents' home in a middle-class neighborhood found an envelope in a safe with the words "I planned ahead," "My assassination" and the name "Giffords" next to what appears to be his signature.

In an interview with The Early Show's Erica Hill, John Green expressed no sympathy for the gunman.

"It's a fairly clear cut case, and I'm a fan of capital punishment in this regard," he said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.