Two civilians and a police officer died in a shooting standoff at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic, which lasted about five hours on Saturday. Nine others were injured including five police officers and four civilians, according to media reports.
The slain officer is identified as 44-year-old Garrett Swasey, who worked for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs who responded to the shooting reports and went in support of another officer under fire.
The suspected gunman, Robert Lewis Dear, 59, surrendered to officers after engaging police in a siege that lasted several hours. The motive behind the attack is unknown.
The police is searching the inside and outside of the building for any explosives left there by the perpetrator, who brought some bags inside the clinic and put some outside of the facility.
The suspect's car in the parking lot was also thoroughly searched for explosives by bomb experts.
The nine surviving victims were taken to hospital and are reported to be in good condition.
Pro-life organizations around the country condemned the attack at the Planned Parenthood facility.
Editor of LifeNews, Steven Ertelt, told Breitbart, "Anyone who would use direct violence towards a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic is clearly not pro-life. The shooter today is showing a crass and horrific lack of respect for human life that is totally at odds with everything the pro-life movement stands for."
Jim Sedlak, Vice President of the American Life League, who has been instrumental in lobbying against abortions in Planned Parenthood said, "Although American Life League's STOPP International fights against the policies and programs of Planned Parenthood, we condemn the use of violence. Every human being is created by God and is deserving of respect. We pray for the victims of the Colorado attack and for the quick capture of the person responsible."
The National Right to Life said that the aim of pro-life movement is to protect life.
"National Right to Life, which represents 50 state affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, unequivocally condemns unlawful activities and acts of violence regardless of motivation. The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal."
The President of Rocky Mountain facility of Planned Parenthood, Vicki Coward blamed the hatred associated with the issue of abortion as a cause of the violence, though she admitted that the motives behind the gunfire have not been established yet.
"We don't yet know the full circumstances and motives behind this criminal action, and we don't yet know if Planned Parenthood was in fact the target of this attack," Vicki Cowart said in a written statement. "We share the concerns of many Americans that extremists are creating a poisonous environment that feeds domestic terrorism in this country. We will never back away from providing care in a safe, supportive environment that millions of people rely on and trust."
Frank Pavone of Priests for Life urged the citizens to retain calm and not to arrive at any conclusions before the facts are revealed.
"As leaders in the pro-life movement, we call for calm and pray for a peaceful resolution of this situation. What is motivating this shooting will become clearer in due time. We ask that in the meantime, nobody jump to conclusions regarding the connection between this violence and the controversy over abortion and Planned Parenthood, and we ask that people do not use this situation to inflame emotions on either side of the abortion issue."
