A Kansas abortion doctor, George Tiller, was shot and killed during a Sunday church service he was attending.This had to be a poetic murder by the assailant!WICHITA, Kan. – Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few providers of late-term abortions despite decades of protests and attacks, was shot and killed Sunday in a church where he was serving as an usher.
The gunman fled, but a 51-year-old suspect was detained some 170 miles away in suburban Kansas City three hours after the shooting, Wichita Deputy Police Chief Tom Stolz said.
Although Stolz refused to release the man's name, Johnson County sheriff's spokesman Tom Erickson identified the detained man as Scott Roeder. He has not been charged in the slaying and was expected to be taken to Wichita for questioning.
Court records and Internet postings show that someone using the name Scott Roeder has a criminal past and has expressed anti-abortion opinions on sympathetic Web sites.
Long a focus of national anti-abortion groups, including a summer-long protest in 1991, Tiller was shot in the foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church. Tiller's attorney, Dan Monnat, said Tiller's wife, Jeanne, was in the choir at the time.
The slaying of the 67-year-old doctor is "an unspeakable tragedy," his widow, four children and 10 grandchildren said in statement. "This is particularly heart-wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace."
The family said its loss "is also a loss for the city of Wichita and women across America. George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality health care despite frequent threats and violence."
Stolz said all indications were that the gunman acted alone, although authorities were investigating whether he had any connection to anti-abortion groups.
Tiller's Women's Health Care Services clinic is one of just three in the nation where abortions are performed after the 21st week of pregnancy. The clinic was heavily fortified and Tiller often traveled with a bodyguard, but Stolz said there was no indication of security at the church Sunday.
Anti-abortion groups denounced the shooting and stressed that they support only nonviolent protest. The movement's leaders fear the killing could create a backlash just as they are scrutinizing U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, whose views on abortion rights are not publicly known. Link
To kill an abortionist in the House of God. Its the same ole story - Baby Killers must be stopped! And God-fearing Christians are the only ones who can take the law into their own hands and stop a Killer of innocent children. God will be proud of this act of defiance! This is the assailant's hardcore belief!
The anti-abortion group may denounce this shooting publicly, but privately, I know they are cheering and thrilled.
One less abortionist in this world = more babies are saved!
Legal abortions can only be performed in a medical clinic under a licensed doctor. Kill the doctor and the clinic will not have a licensed physician = clinic will be closed. This is logical.
But this one step forward to save unborn babies today from Dr. George Tiller will bring an adverse 2+ steps back for the Pro-life Cause tomorrow!
This is reminiscent of bombing abortion clinics where not just the doctor, but workers and innocent people are killed - the families, friends and allies of the fallen will campaign for their cause.
Cold-Blooded murder of abortionists will NOT eliminate the fight against Abortion! It will increase it!
Just as the torture of terrorists will Not eliminate the fight against Terrorism!
