A suspect is led away in handcuffs by police during an active shooter situation at a Planned Parenthood on November 27, 2015 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Getty)
Robert Lewis Dear Jr., 57, has been identified as the suspect in the shooting at a Planned Parenthood medical center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Denver Post reports.
Three people, including a police officer were killed in the shooting and nine others, including five police officers, were injured. It began just before noon on Friday, while the clinic was open and in operation. The suspect was taken into custody five hours later, just before 5 p.m.
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Police Officer Garrett Swasey, 44, has been identified as one of the victims killed in the shooting.
Not much is known about the accused shooter so far.
Here’s what you need to know about the Dear and the shooting:
1. Dear Surrendered to Police Who Entered the Planned Parenthood Building
(Getty)
Police said officers inside the building shouted to the suspect and he surrendered to them without being injured. Colorado Springs Police have not yet confirmed the suspect’s name.
WATCH: @denverpost captures video of Planned Parenthood suspect being led away in handcuffs https://t.co/NzMd6hvWmb https://t.co/owLLbkhIwn
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 28, 2015
Dear was led from the building in a white T-shirt and handcuffs, according to videos and photos from the scene. The Denver Post reports that he is cooperating with police and told officers he acted alone.
Teams of police previously evacuated “numerous people” from the building. The shooting was first reported at about 11:45 a.m.
Vicki Cowart, the president of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, which operates the clinic, said in a statement on Twitter, “This is a live situation and the Colorado Springs Police are the best source for information. At this time, our concern is for the safety of our patients, staff and law enforcement. This is a developing situation, and we’ll continue to share updates as we have them.”
The shooting started at the Planned Parenthood clinic on Centennial Boulevard, police said. Several hours after the shooting was first reported, police said they were still engaging in gunfire with the suspect.
2. He Is Originally From South Carolina & Was Charged With Animal Cruelty in 2002
(Getty)
Robert Lewis Dear, the suspected gunman, is from Hartsel, Colorado. According to KDVR-TV, he was previously a resident of North Carolina and is originally from South Carolina.
Dear’s age has been reported to as both 57 and 59, but public records indicate that he is 57. His family is from South Carolina, according to public records and his father’s obituary.
According to court records, Dear has an arrest record in both North and South Carolina. He has been convicted of several traffic offenses, but has been arrested several times on more serious charges.
His convictions include seat belt violations, driver’s license violations, operating a vehicle in an unsafe mechanical condition and driving a non-registered vehicle.
Dear was charged in Colleton, South Carolina, with two counts of cruelty to animals in 2002, but was found not guilty in a bench trial.
He was also charged in 2002 in Colleton with charges of “peeping Tom” and eavesdropping. Those charges were dismissed.
3. The Suspect Brought ‘Devices’ to the Scene, Police Say
People are escorted to an ambulance during an active shooter situation at a Planned Parenthood facility. (Getty)
Police said the suspect brought devices, including propane tanks, to the scene.
They said investigators, including explosive device technicians, will need to secure the area as a result. They do not know if the devices are explosives.
4. He Was Reported to Have a ‘Long Gun’
A member of the Colorado Springs sheriff’s department secures the scene during an active shooter situation at a Planned Parenthood facility. (Getty)
Dispatchers said the gunman was wearing a long coat and a hunting-type hat, the Colorado Springs Gazette reports.
Police said the gunman is believed to have used a long gun.
The gunman walked into the Planned Parenthood and began shooting, KKTV reports.
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, a witness saw the gunman shoot someone near the front door of the Planned Parenthood and then followed him through the parking lot and inside. The witness told the newspaper the gunman “unleashed a barrage of gunfire,” after shattering the glass front doors of the building.
5. Another Gunman Killed 3 People During a Shooting Spree in Colorado Springs Last Month
Noah Harpham has been identified by the Colorado Springs Gazette as the gunman who killed three people on October 31, 2015, before being fatally shot by police in a shooting spree in the Colorado city. (Heather Kopp)
This is the second active shooter situation in Colorado Springs in a month.
A 33-year-old man randomly killed three people in broad daylight on Halloween before being fatally shot by police.
Noah Harpham, a Colorado Springs resident, battled addiction and recently authored rambling blogs about his father and religion.
The shootings happened at about 8:45 a.m., Colorado Springs Police said. The gunman was heavily armed as he walked down the street. He shot a bicyclist first, and then killed two women. He was then chased by responding officers and gunned down in a shootout.
Read more about that shooting at the link below:
is a reporter and editor for Heavy.com. Tom was a breaking news reporter at the Connecticut Post and an editor at the Register Citizen and New Haven Register. He can be reached by email at Tom.Cleary@Heavy.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomwcleary. November 28, 2015 12:42 am
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