3 Killed in Colorado Health Clinic Shooting
- By Sydny Shepard
- Nov 30, 2015
Two civilians and a police officer were killed when a gunman open fired at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the end of November.
The suspected gunman, Robert Lewis Dear, was inside the clinic with an unknown number of people for nearly six hours after a shots fired call was made to police. More than 100 law enforcement officers from around El Paso County arrived on the scene, including bomb squads, law enforcement from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado State Patrol, the ATF and the FBI.
The incident started a little before 11:30 a.m. when a gunman entered the Planned Parenthood and open fired on the clinic. What ensued, police reported, was hours of shootouts with the gunman. Emergency officials urged people to stay inside nearby businesses and seek shelter.
Dear finally surrendered to police a little before 5 p.m. and was taken into custody. Officials quickly scoured the clinic, making sure that there were no more suspects and that Dear hadn’t left behind any explosives.
While it is not immediately clear why Planned Parenthood was the target of the shooting, investigators are going over the large crime scene left at the clinic and bomb technicians are examining the suspect’s car, looking for evidence that may point to the gunman’s motive.
An official of the clinic said that while they are still trying to reach out to individuals, they believe that all staff and patients from the clinic are accounted for.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.