On Nov. 27, a shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado left three people dead- one police officer and two civilians. The shooting lasted five hours and the police ended the standoff by convincing the suspect, Robert Louis Dear, to surrender.

At 11:40 a.m. Colorado Springs law enforcement responded to a call about an active shooter at the Colorado Springs Mall. When the police arrived the shooter, Dear, had moved inside the Planned Parenthood clinic for shelter. He fired from inside the clinic hitting several of the police officers. It wasn’t until 4:50 p.m. that Dear surrendered himself to the police. As a precaution, law officers were posted at the Planned Parenthood clinics across the country. No other incidents occurred.

Dear is facing life in prison or possibly the death penalty. Dear is said by officials to have anti-abortion and anti-government views that might have lead to his actions.

Among the dead are University of Colorado- Colorado Springs police officer Garrett Swasey, Ke’Arre M. Stewart (a young woman who once she got shot ran into the clinic to warn others) and Jennifer Markovsky who had accompanied one of her friends to the clinic. There were nine people wounded in the shooting. Five of the people injured were police, the other four were civilians. Dear’s second hearing is set to start on Dec. 9.

Savannah Houdeshell, staff writer

Freshman Savannah Houdeshell is a staff writer for the 2015-2016 Colonel. She participates in Operation Smile and is on the soccer team.