Following a Friday shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado that left three dead and nine injured, clinics in Boston are considering increased security measures.
Robert Lewis Dear, who has been taken into police custody as the suspect, will be charged with the first-degree murder of three people, including a police officer, along with other potential charges. The motive behind the shooting is currently undisclosed, but Dear will face formal charges Dec. 9.
Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, said in an official statement that rhetoric is the cause of violence targeting health clinics.
“We’ve seen an alarming increase in hateful rhetoric and smear campaigns against abortion providers and patients over the last few months,” Childs-Roshak said in a Saturday statement. “We do not accept this environment as normal. We should not have to live in a world where accessing health care includes safe rooms and bullet-proof glass.”
Planned Parenthood will work to improve security at its clinics, Childs-Roshak said.
“The safety of our patients and staff is our top priority,” Childs-Roshak said. “We have strong security measures in place and work closely with law enforcement agencies, and we also ensure that our doors are open to all people who need high-quality, compassionate health care.”
Lt. Michael McCarthy of the Boston Police Department said law enforcement will be increasing security at Planned Parenthood clinics and other local health clinics.
“Since the tragic accident in Colorado, we have increased visibility patrols around Planned Parenthood here in Boston,” McCarthy wrote in an email. “We will continue to monitor the situation.”
McCarthy was unable to disclose specific security measures that will be taken.
Megan Amundson, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, said violent anti-abortion rhetoric is what stigmatizes Planned Parenthood and leads to violent acts such as this.
“There has been an increase in dangerous rhetoric around abortion in recent months and recent years,” Amundson said. “This has continued to incite violence.”
Amundson said the shooting should be considered domestic terrorism and should be handled as such.
“[NARAL] feels strongly that the violence and intimidation of patients and health care providers should be called what it is — domestic terrorism,” Amundson said. “Women should never have to fear access to health care because there might be violence.”
Increased security around Planned Parenthood clinics would not solve the issue, Amundson said. Instead, the shooting calls for a change in the way we speak about abortion.
“The shooting calls for a change in the rhetoric around abortion more than anything else,” Amundson said. “Violent rhetoric incites violence.”
Several Boston residents said the shooting creates a need for increased nationwide security at health clinics.
“It’s pretty messed up. I agree. It should absolutely be considered domestic terrorism,” said Zack Lambert, 25, of Brighton.
Kristen Richards, 30, of Back Bay, said increased security is only the first step in a process to better safety at clinics.
“I absolutely agree [that it is an act of domestic terrorism]. It’s disgusting,” she said. “I don’t know about heightened security. It would be a start but then you need better laws to back it up.”
Mary Grieco, a senior in Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences, said the shooting was the result of extreme beliefs on the part of the suspect but not an act of terrorism.
“I think [the suspect] had really skewed beliefs of our American health system and how the public should work and how women’s rights should be perceived,” she said. “I don’t think it was terrorism, I think it was a shooting. It was an act of violence committed by your typical ostracized, violent man.”
Kennedy serves as a city associate for the Daily Free Press. A freshman, she studies English with a minor in philosophy. As a journalist, Kennedy shows special interest in crime and local politics. You can follow her on Twitter at @stellarkenn.
