A suspected shooter reportedly spoke of “no more baby parts” after his arrest following a five-hour siege of a family planning clinic in Colorado Springs that left three people dead, including a police officer.
Details began to emerge on Saturday about what may have driven the suspect, Robert Lewis Dear, 57, to enter the Planned Parenthood clinic with a high-powered rifle on Friday and fire on police and civilians outside the building.
The clinic performs abortions — a highly emotive and divisive issue in America.
NBC News, citing two law enforcement officials, said that when questioned after his arrest Dear mentioned “no more baby parts” in reference to Planned Parenthood.
The agency came under intense scrutiny earlier in 2015 over videos purportedly showing that it was involved in trafficking fetal organs and tissue — allegations that it has vehemently denied.
Dear also mentioned President Barack Obama, so the sources told NBC that it was unclear whether he targeted the clinic because of abortions. However for Vicki Cowart, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, the connection was clear.
