Posted on 11/30/2015 10:54:11 AM PST by wagglebee
November 30, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) - The picture emerging of the man who allegedly opened fire at a Planned Parenthood facility Friday is one of a deeply troubled recluse with a history of run-ins with the law and bizarre behavior that left some of those who encountered him fearful for their safety, and many convinced that he wasn't sane.
On Saturday morning Colorado Springs police identified Robert Lewis Dear, 57, of North Carolina, as the suspect in the shooting that left three dead, and another nine injured. Dear allegedly began shooting outside the Planned Parenthood facility just before noon, Mountain Time, Friday, before retreating into the facility for a five hour stand-off with police.
Planned Parenthood has confirmed that none of its staff were injured in the shooting. Both of the civilians killed were reportedly accompanying friends to appointments.
The New York Daily News reports that an online dating profile that appears to have been posted by Dear in the early 2000s has Dear asking for "discreet" sadomasochistic sex, as well as pot-smoking companions. Other posts on Cannabis.com by someone with a username associated with Dear, include what the Daily News describes as "paranoid Biblical rants."
Heavy.com reports that Dear was arrested and charged in 2002 on charges of "animal cruelty," eavesdropping and "peeping tom" charges. He was acquitted of the animal cruelty charges after a bench trial, while the latter charges were dismissed.
He also has numerous previous convictions for various traffic violations. These include seat belt violations, driver’s license violations, operating a vehicle in an unsafe mechanical condition and driving a non-registered vehicle.
ABC reports that Dear spent some of his time living in a cabin in the woods in North Carolina, without running water or electricity. Neighbors say he was a quiet man who seemed "off." They said that when he did speak, he tended to ramble on a disconnected series of topics.
One neighbor, James Russell, said that two topics they never heard Dear speak about were religion and abortion. Russell also said that Dear tended to avoid eye contact. "Nothing with him was very cognitive," said Russell about Dear.
James Howie, who lived close to one of Dear's remote properties in North Carolina, told USA Today that Dear once asked him to do some foundation work on his shack. After accompanying Dear to the job site, Howie declined the job. "I was just glad to get home," he said about the experience, adding that in his view Dear seemed crazy, although not dangerous.
Another neighbor told the Washington Post that Dear "was the kind of person you had to watch out for. He was a very weird individual. It's hard to explain, but he had a weird look in his eye most of the time."
Another neighbor said that she and her family "kept out of his way." "He wouldn't really speak to anybody, he wouldn't wave," Mallory Nicoletti, 29, told the Citizen-Times.
John Hood, another neighbor, told NBCNews that Dear rarely spoke with him, but when he did, it was to offer bizarre advice. On one occasion, said Hood, Dear urged him to get a metal roof installed on his house, so the US government couldn't spy on him. Hood also said he erected a fence between their properties, because Dear had a habit of skinny dipping.
The Gateway Pundit also reports that, bizarrely, Dear was registered to vote as a woman, although it is unclear whether this is simply a clerical error or has any deeper significance.
One anonymous source, reportedly with the police, told the Washington Post that in a confusing rant following his arrest Dear did make mention of "baby body parts," suggesting some connection with the recent series of undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood staffers harvesting and selling the body parts of aborted babies.
However, the source added that this was but one topic among many mentioned by Dear in a speech that left investigators unclear as to his specific motivation.
Planned Parenthood has issued a statement saying that based upon eyewitnesses they believe Dear "was motivated by opposition to safe and legal abortion."
Dear's ex-wife, Pamela Ross, told the New York Times he was a Bible-believing Christian, and that he opposed abortion, but that it "was never really a topic of conversation" in their house.
RELATED: Planned Parenthood shooting suspect surrenders, is in custody: police
Ross and Dear divorced in 2000. The picture that Ross paints of her ex-husband as a physically healthy man who lifted weights, took good care of himself, enjoyed listening to U2 and riding motorcycles, clashes markedly with the accounts of those who lived near him in the years since their parting.
Ross said she was shocked at the man she saw on TV following his arrest this weekend.
“Something must have happened to him when he moved away, that’s all I know," she said. “Me and our whole family are extremely devastated and heartbroken by the victims of these families, and we have no words that can ever comfort them other than to say we’re sorry for what he did.”
Dear reportedly brought several "items" with him into the Planned Parenthood facility, which police had said they were concerned could be explosives. Early Saturday morning police tweeted that those items have been "secured" and are "no longer a threat."
Subsequent reports have suggested those items were propane tanks that Dear may have been trying to shoot in order to cause an explosion.
After a five-hour standoff with police, during which Dear repeatedly exchanged gunfire with them, police were able to establish voice contact with the suspect by shouting. At that point they were able to convince him to surrender.
While some reports have indicated that the shooting actually began outside a nearby Chase Bank, and may have been related to a robbery, Springfield police spokeswoman Lt. Catherine Buckley said at a press conference Friday evening that the shooting appears to have begun at the Planned Parenthood.
While Dear's motive is still unknown, pro-life groups have issued statements condemning the violence, and urging caution in jumping to conclusions.
"Information is very sketchy about the currently active shooting situation in Colorado Springs," said Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. "The Planned Parenthood was the address given in the initial call to the police, but we still do not know what connection, if any, the shooting has to do with Planned Parenthood or abortion."
"As leaders in the pro-life movement, we call for calm and pray for a peaceful resolution of this situation."
Troy Newman of Operation Rescue and Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, also issued statements.
"Operation Rescue unequivocally deplores and denounces all violence at abortion clinics and has a long history of working through peaceful channels to advocate on behalf of women and their babies," said Newman. "We express deep concern for everyone involved and are praying for the safety of those at the Planned Parenthood office and for law enforcement personnel. We pray this tragic situation can be quickly resolved without further injury to anyone."
"Although we don't know the reasons for the shooting near the Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs today, the pro-life movement is praying for the safety of all involved and as a movement we have always unequivocally condemned all forms of violence at abortion clinics. We must continually as a nation stand against violence on all levels," said Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, based in Washington, D.C.
He shot people in the parking lot of PP. He couldn’t get to the employees in PP because the successfully implemented their security procedures.
Okay my question is on what evidence do you come to the conclusion that he planned to attack planned parenthood and was stopped by security procedures?
Thanks.
Let's say that is true. Then it would jive with reports that he wasn't randomly killing people inside the PP clinic, nor attacking the PP clinic. He had run in there to escape police.
One report was that the whole thing started 30 minutes before he even entered the clinic.
I’m providing sourced news reports.
If the comments in those sources have been disproven, just show me. I’m from Missouri.
Sometimes early reports are errant. Sometimes they are the truth and later reports are lies made up to cover for something.
I’m trying to get to the truth, and that involves having correct and incorrect info sorted out. So I appreciate any help you can give.
Let me ask you this:
Why do you think the Police have thrown a GAG ORDER around this whole debacle ?
Let’s say that is true? There is video interviews supporting both things I stated.
And I know you really, really, don’t want it to be a PP thing. But it is.
He was shooting people in a unique parking lot, outside of a PP. It isn’t a comingled parking lot with other businesses. But a PP parking lot.
He was setting up “items” outside of the building. Also news reported and police confirmed that all of those items were no longer a threat.
He carried items inside of the PP building. Again reported and police confirmed that those items were no longer a threat.
Both DouglasKC and I said he didn't shoot people inside the clinic. You have done nothing with your comment but confirm that.
Ergo, it's hard for me to tell what your words "NOT TRUE" meant.
You have both tried to insist that it wasn’t an attack on PP because he didn’t shoot people inside PP.
He was attacking PP, you are just being silly in trying to say that isn’t true because he couldn’t shoot anyone inside the building.
But you just said a woman inside the PP clinic said that HE was shooting out the window at people in the parking lot. Obviously he could have shot her, if he wanted to kill people INSIDE the PP clinic.
I NEVER SAID THAT! I said a woman inside PP saw him shooting (she was looking at him through the window). She saw him for a few moments until she retreated to a safe place inside the building that he couldn’t access.
And what you stated is that people inside the clinic said he was shooting out the window at people in the parking lot.
What you have not mentioned is that the people in the parking lot were anti-abortion protesters. Unless you believe that huge crowds like to hang out in front of the abortion clinics for some other reason.
According to a news report I read, they have protests there almost every day.
SO... if this guy was trying to kill anyone, it was the ANTI-ABORTION crowd, not the PP staff or hostages inside (as you already stated is true) that he actually shot (and some cops).
Where did I say this?
What you have not mentioned is that the people in the parking lot were anti-abortion protesters.
Wrong. He was shooting people who had brought people to the clinic: man who was shot and fled to King Soopers; man who was killed; woman who was killed. All three had brought people to PP, were there supporting them.
No, you don't know any such thing. I just want the truth. If your theory is true, and there is proof, I have no problem accepting it. So why didn't he shoot the lady that was there with him watching him shoot people in the parking lot ?
She wasn’t there with him. She was inside the building, and was looking at him shooting people (she was looking at him through a window. She was inside. He was outside). She saw this for a moment, and fled to a safe room further inside the building.
OK, so now you provide more details. Thanks for the belated info.
He was outside shooting at people in the parking lot.
Were there any police in the parking lots shooting at him ?
People who brought people to the clinic were sitting outside in their cars.
Normally I would call you on that, but I’m pretty sure that PP clinics will not allow any guests/visitors.
She only described seeing him shoot. She describes rooms being locked and finding one that wasn’t locked with someone else in it and hiding there.
The man who lived gave media interviews and said that is what he was doing (brought someone to the clinic)! He was sitting in his car, Dear walked up, looked right at him, and shot at him through the windshield. He was not actually shot, but the windshield shattered, sending glass into his face.
The family of the man who was killed has stated he was inside the building and had stepped outside to get better phone signal and he was shot. He was there because he had brought someone to the clinic.
The woman that was killed had brought someone to the clinic and was there to support them.
Yeah... I got it. My post occurred before your explanation.
She was inside, he was outside. He shot people sitting in their cars because they brought people to the PP clinic. (say that to yourself and see if it sounds as ridiculous as it does to me).
You also said(or implied) that the reason he shot people out in the parking lot was because the PP staff went and hid in a safe room. Which counters the fact that he was outside and they weren’t (at least the lady you mentioned wasn’t) in the safe room when he shot them.
Can you explain that ?
I did not say or imply that the reason he shot people in the parking lot was because staff hid.
Thanks. I really do appreciate you contributing this information. You are helping us all get to the truth.
What would help settle the debate is whether this STARTED at the PP clinic or not. Why the GAG ORDER ? Why reports it started down the street at the BANK ?
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