A 5-hour standoff at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs on Friday ended with the shooter in custody after he repeatedly fired at police. Three people — a University of Colorado at Colorado Springs police officer and 2 civilians — have died, and local TV stations in Colorado Springs and Denver variously reported that 9 or 10 others were injured, including 4 other police officers. A TV station reported the suspect’s vehicle was “surrounded by explosives,” and other media reports suggested he may also have placed propane tanks near and inside the building. Based on witness reports, the incident began when the shooter, who was armed with an AK-47 type rifle, fired at cars outside the Planned Parenthood building, then went inside and shot at arriving police. A witness reported seeing a man get shot in his car and fall out of his vehicle. The building’s bulletproof windows hindered police efforts to get at the shooter. At one point, police rammed a wall with a vehicle to rescue occupants inside. The incident ended when the shooter walked out of the building and surrendered. Hundreds of people were trapped in surrounding businesses for several hours. Numerous law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and ATF, responded to the scene. (Note: Unless there are further major developments, such as additional deaths, this will end my updates. You can continue to follow this story via regular news media.)
Photo: This is the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs. AOL News reports this clinic provides abortion services. Below: Police evacuate civilians during today’s incident. Bottom: The suspect in custody.
