Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Prompts Tight Security at Capitol

Jan. 9, 2011 -- The flags flying at half mast over the U.S. Capitol Monday morning were not the only indications of the assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Ariz., this weekend.

There was a increased, visible security presence on Capitol Hill today as members of Congress and hundreds of congressional staffers observed a moment of silence in honor of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and those who were killed and wounded two days ago in Tucson.

Well-wishers and mourners left flowers and candles at a makeshift tribute which was surrounded by velvet ropes on the east front of the Capitol in the shadow of the Statue of Freedom, which adorns the dome.

As the moment of silence approached, streams of staffers poured out of the House office buildings across Independence Avenue towards the Capitol.

U.S. Capitol police officers asked staffers to present their identification before they were permitted to join the gathering. Other officers with high-powered rifles marched back-and-forth scoping out any potential threats. Even more officers patrolled the grounds on foot and bicycles.

About a dozen members of Congress joined the large staff gathering for the one minute of silence. By the time they finished lining up, the steps were packed shoulder-to-shoulder.

After the somber moment passed, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., asked everyone to put their arms around one another to join in prayer.

"Help us move from this dark place to a place of sunshine and hope," Cleaver prayed. "Bless these God, our servants, who serve this nation. Keep them safe. More than anything God we ask that you keep our hearts pure."

Hours after the tragic attack Saturday, Cleaver told ABC News that incidents like the Giffords shooting should not prevent members of Congress from meeting with constituents, as the Arizona Congresswoman was doing at the time of the shooting.