Gunman kills three at Colorado clinic in US

AFP, Colorado Springs: A gunman opened fire at a prominent family planning centre in Colorado, killing three people and wounding several in a standoff that dragged on for five hours before he surrendered Friday.
An usually busy area of snow-covered Colorado Springs was placed on lockdown into the early evening, just one day after millions of Americans celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, in the latest incident to shine a spotlight on gun violence in the United States.
Mayor John Suthers paid tribute to police for hauling in the gunman without further bloodshed at the Planned Parenthood building, where people scrambled into a “safe room” for cover.
A police officer was among the dead, he said, while nine others—among them five police—were wounded, though none seriously.
“While this was a terrible, terrible tragedy, it could have been much worse if not for the reactions of first responders,” Sutter told reporters.
The dead policeman was identified as Garrett Swasey, 44, a campus officer at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs who had raced to the scene of the shooting.
Officials later identified the suspect as 57-year old Robert Lewis Dear of South Carolina, local media including The Denver Post reported.
It was unclear whether Planned Parenthood—a major women’s health and family planning group—was the shooter’s target.
Abortion is one of the services Planned Parenthood provides for women, and the association has become a lightning rod for criticism by social conservatives.
Those critics, many of whom seek to outlaw abortion in the United States, have falsely accused Planned Parenthood of selling fetal organs and body parts for profit, and encouraging women to have abortions in order to expand such operations.
Vicki Cowart, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, said she did not believe the center had been specifically targeted.

 

Gunman kills three at Colorado clinic in US

AFP, Colorado Springs: A gunman opened fire at a prominent family planning centre in Colorado, killing three people and wounding several in a standoff that dragged on for five hours before he surrendered Friday. An usually busy area of snow-covered Colorado Springs was placed on lockdown into the early evening, just one day after millions of Americans celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, in the latest incident to shine a spotlight on gun violence in the United States. Mayor John Suthers paid tribute to police for hauling in the gunman without further bloodshed at the Planned Parenthood building, where people scrambled into a safe room for cover. A police officer was among the dead, he said, while nine othersamong them five policewere wounded, though none seriously. While this was a terrible, terrible tragedy, it could have been much worse if not for the reactions of first responders, Sutter told reporters. The dead policeman was identified as Garrett Swasey, 44, a campus officer at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs who had raced to the scene of the shooting. Officials later identified the suspect as 57-year old Robert Lewis Dear of South Carolina, local media including The Denver Post reported. It was unclear whether Planned Parenthooda major womens health and family planning groupwas the shooters target. Abortion is one of the services Planned Parenthood provides for women, and the association has become a lightning rod for criticism by social conservatives. Those critics, many of whom seek to outlaw abortion in the United States, have falsely accused Planned Parenthood of selling fetal organs and body parts for profit, and encouraging women to have abortions in order to expand such operations. Vicki Cowart, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, said she did not believe the center had been specifically targeted.