“Unknown number of victims” from shooting at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs

At least five police officers have been shot, and an untold number of other people have been injured, in what is reported at the time of this blog post as an “a very active shooter situation” either at or near a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“We’re not sure of what the connection is to Planned Parenthood,” but that was the original address received, said Lt. Catherine Buckley. She said that a rifle was used in the shooting, and police “could not confirm where the shooter is.”

Officers were still encountering gunfire at the shooting site more than two and a half hours after a gunman was first reported in the area. “Still active officers are encountering gunfire,” the Colorado Springs Police Department said on Twitter.

People in nearby buildings were ordered to shelter-in-place. At a news conference, a spokesperson for the police said that it was unclear if the gunman targeted the Planned Parenthood specifically.

One eyewitness quoted in the Gazette says “she heard roughly 10 to 20 gunshots in the span of less than five minutes.”

From the Denver Post:

Joan Motolinia said his sister is in the clinic, and he talked to her by phone about 1:30 p.m. She was at the clinic for an appointment and was hiding under a table and was only able to talk briefly.

“She was very afraid,” he said.

While she was talking, he could hear gunfire in the background and after about two minutes, his sister hung up on him.

“She was telling me to take care of her babies,” he said. “I heard some shots so people were in there shooting for sure.”

The Gazette also reported that some random guy who was out and about carrying guns on his person thought it would be helpful to show up at the scene of an active shooting and SWAT situation while wearing weapons on his helpful person.

There was a moment this afternoon when a man walked up to the scene with a handgun strapped to his waist and ammunition vest around his chest. He appeared to be asking police if he could help. Officers told him to leave immediately because appearing at the scene while wearing firearms and that equipment was a bad idea.

Never change, America.

A statement issued just now from Vicki Cowart, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains:

Our top priority is the safety of our patients and staff. Our hearts go out to everyone involved in this tragic situation. Planned Parenthood has strong security measures in place, works closely with law enforcement agencies, and has a very strong safety record. We don’t yet know the full circumstances and motives behind this criminal action, and we don’t yet know if Planned Parenthood was in fact the target of this attack. We share the concerns of many Americans that extremists are creating a poisonous environment that feeds domestic terrorism in this country. We will never back away from providing care in a safe, supportive environment that millions of people rely on and trust.