Suspect in custody in Tiller shooting

By ROXANA HEGEMAN, The Associated Press

WICHITA -- Late-term abortion doctor George Tiller, a prominent advocate for abortion rights wounded by a protester more than a decade ago, was shot and killed Sunday at his church in Wichita.

Deputy Police Chief Tom Stolz said Tiller, 67, was serving as an usher during morning services when he was shot in the foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church. Stolz said the gunman fired one shot at Tiller and threatened two other people who tried to stop him.

A 51-year-old suspect was detained in suburban Kansas City three hours after the shooting, Stolz said. Police had been looking for a gunman who fled in a 1993 light blue Ford Taurus registered in the Kansas City suburb of Merriam, Kan.

Although Stolz refused to release the man's name, Johnson County sheriff's spokesman Tom Erickson identified the detained man as Scott Roeder. He has not been charged in the slaying and was expected to be taken to Wichita for questioning.

The women's clinic run by Tiller is one of three in the nation where abortions are performed after the 21st week of pregnancy, when the fetus is considered viable, and has repeatedly been the site of protests for about two decades. A protester shot Tiller in both arms in 1993, and his clinic was bombed in 1985.

Stolz said the suspect likely would face one murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault. Charges are expected to be filed today, he said.

Stolz said all indications were that the man acted alone, although authorities were investigating whether he had any connection to anti-abortion groups.

Stolz said that Tiller apparently did not have a bodyguard with him in church, although the doctor was routinely accompanied by one. An attorney for Tiller, Dan Monnat, said the doctor's wife, Jeanne, was in the choir at the time of the shooting.

Monnat said that Tiller recently had asked federal prosecutors to step up investigations of vandalism and other threats against the clinic out of fear that the incidents were increasing and that Tiller's safety was in jeopardy. However, Stolz said authorities knew of no threats connected to the shooting.

Adam Watkins, a 20-year-old who said he has attended the church his entire life, said he was sitting in the middle of the congregation when he heard a small pop at the start of the service.

"We just thought a child had come in with a balloon and it had popped, had gone up and hit the ceiling and popped," Watkins said.

Another usher came in and told the congregation to remain seated, then escorted Tiller's wife out.

"When she got to the back doors, we heard her scream, and so we knew something bad had happened," Watkins said.

He said the service continued even after an associate pastor announced that Tiller had been injured.

"We were just really shocked," he said. "We were kind of dumbfounded. We couldn't really believe it had happened."

He and other church members said anti-abortion protesters have shown up outside the church on Sundays regularly.

"They've been out here for quite a few years. We've just become accustomed to it. Just like an everyday thing, you just looked over and see them and say, 'Yup they're back again.' "

He added, "We had no idea that someone would come into our church and do such a bad thing like that -- inside of a church."

Tiller's attorneys issued a statement on behalf of his wife, four children and 10 grandchildren.

"Today's event is an unspeakable tragedy for all of us and for George's friends and patients. This is particularly heart-wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace," the statement said.

"Our loss is also a loss for the city of Wichita and women across America. George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality heath care despite frequent threats and violence."

Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri said it was working with law enforcement to secure its facilities Sunday even after the suspect was in custody.

Anti-abortion group Operation Rescue issued a statement denouncing the shooting.

"We are shocked at this morning's disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down," said Troy Newman, Operation Rescue's president. "Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning."

Nancy Keenan, president of abortion-rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America, praised Tiller's commitment to providing abortion services.

"Dr. Tiller's murder will send a chill down the spines of the brave and courageous providers and other professionals who are part of reproductive-health centers that serve women across this country. We want them to know that they have our support as they move forward in providing these essential services in the aftermath of the shocking news from Wichita," Keenan said.

President Barack Obama also expressed outrage over the killing.

"However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence," Obama said.

Tiller remained prominent in the news in recent years, in part because of an investigation started by former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, an abortion opponent.

"I am stunned by this lawless and violent act, which must be condemned and should be met with the full force of law," Kline said in a written statement. "We join in lifting prayer that God's grace and presence rest with Dr. Tiller's family and friends."

Prosecutors had alleged that Tiller had gotten second opinions from a doctor who was essentially an employee of his, not independent as state law requires. A jury in March acquitted Tiller of all 19 misdemeanor counts.

Abortion opponents also questioned then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' ties to Tiller before the Senate confirmed her this year as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary. Tiller donated thousands of dollars to Sebelius over the years.

As one of the few doctors in the nation to perform late-term abortions, Tiller had been a high-profile target of abortion opponents for decades. His clinic, Women's Health Care Services, was bombed in 1985, and Tiller was shot in both arms in 1993 by abortion protester Rachelle "Shelley" Shannon, of Grants Pass, Ore.

In 1991, the Summer of Mercy protests organized by Operation Rescue drew thousands of anti-abortion activists to this city for demonstrations marked by civil disobedience and mass arrests. After those protests, Tiller kept mostly to his heavily guarded clinic, although in 1997 he opened it to three tours by state lawmakers and the media.

The clinic is fortified with bulletproof glass, and Tiller hired a private security team to protect the facility.

At his recent trial, he told jurors that he and his family have suffered years of harassment and threats and that he knew he was a target of anti-abortion protesters.

Federal marshals protected Tiller during the 1991 Summer of Mercy protests, and he was protected again between 1994 and 1998 after another abortion provider was assassinated and federal authorities reported finding Tiller's name on an assassination list.

Join the Discussion:

Salina.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here. Read our full online terms of service policy.

Lisa says....
to informed individual:If you seriously think anyone kills a child while pleasuring thierselves,I'm quite sure the point does escape you.
6/4/2009

---

Informed Individual says....
Lisa...I fail to see your point..but the answer is two.
6/3/2009

---

Get real... says....
"I've noticed that everybody who is for abortion has already been born." -- Ronald Reagan
6/3/2009

---

Lisa says....
TO INFORMED INDIVIDUAL,How many 'live' things have you eaten today??
6/3/2009

---

says....
@ Informed Individual: Just because sperm and egg die when fertilization doesn't occur doesn't mean that you've killed a child while having sex. It takes fertilization to create an embryo, remember? This is the point that both sides agree upon. The difference lies in the fact that one side believes you can terminate that embryo (or baby) before it's born and that's fine. The other side believes that you should be responsible for your actions and have the baby. After having the baby you could always give it up for adoption, but somehow folks seem to forget that. As for the points pertaining to babies that are going to kill the mother if carried to term, well, it hardly ever happens. If it's a tubal pregnancy, yes, but chances are the baby will die as well (esp if the mother dies first). For those wanting to dispose of their "deformed" babies, maybe you should kill your kids if they can't muster enough smarts to get better than a C in their high school algebra class. I mean, come on, what are they, deformed?
6/2/2009

---

Informed Individual says....
I have a question for you all...at what point do we call something "Alive"...sperm and eggs can both be deemed life and thus when you do not actually insemenate a woman..you just killed a life. That part can be argued very easily..so how many of you killed a child while pleasuring yourself.
6/2/2009

---

BLAHBLAH says....
THE MAN THAT KILLED HIM ..Was a fool........hope he likes prison and what will be done to him in there ...prison life is very bad...you don't sleep you wait and you listen ...no peace oF mind...I would of left tiller a lone..he will be wishing he had once he goes to prison..what a way to spent the rest of your life...scared.getting raped and beatend up...he will never last in there
6/2/2009

---

says....
Look at all the fundy anti-choice militant freaks spouting justification for Dr. Tiller's murder. And notice how the Journal staff allowed that to be posted while cutting so many pro-choice comments out.
6/1/2009

---

glad i was not aborted says....
Mr. Tiller now knows that murdering innocent unborn American citizens was wrong... HE is now a true believer for "there are no athiests in hell" and "God is not mocked."
6/1/2009

---

primitivepete says....
How can we call an abortion clinic a "women's health care center" when at least one-half of all its patients die every day?
6/1/2009

---

says....
We can all remember a time when there was an attempt to put an end to civil rights by assassinating some strong leaders in our country. It's a shame that we have not made progress since the 1960s!
6/1/2009

---

$$$$$$$$'s for lives says....
he made millions of $$$$'s his reason for doing what he did!
6/1/2009

---

60,000 to 1 says....
60,000 - 1. 1 killed 1. 1 killed 60,000!
6/1/2009

---

nursie_49 says....
It's a sad day when the rights of women are again trampled on. Two wrongs don't make a right. God is the only judge and jury that matters.The anti-abortions protestors have never walked in the shoes of someone needing an abortion whether it be because of rape, incest or birth deformities. Dr. Tiller provided a necessary legal service to all women who need it. May God have mercy on his soul. RIP
6/1/2009

---

says....
And the killer is killed. "If you live by the sword..."
6/1/2009

---

says....
I dont think that it was right for someone to shot and kill him. But its also not right for what he did for a living either. thats just a little baby how could someone do that i just dont get it.
6/1/2009

---

Keep Abortion Legal says....
Abortions should be kept legal for cases of rape and incest. "The seed of the wicked shall be cut off (aborted)." There's no reason for any woman to carry the seed of an evil man who rapes her.
6/1/2009

---

Rza says....
Pro-life right wingers like to spin the facts. A woman having an abortion in the third trimester is not doing it as a form of contraception. They are done when the woman's life is threatened or the fetus cannot survive outside the womb (deformities, etc.) Until the US government issues social security numbers at conception, abortion should remain legal. Religion has no place in government.
6/1/2009

---

Question? says....
As I asked and did not get answer to in a previous post. What about if the fetus will cause the mothers death if she carries it?? What if she does not know until she is a mth pregnant that this will kill? Should she carry the child to die and leave it mother less??
6/1/2009

---

Juan says....
I have a question more than a comment,why would Tiller have such a penchant for late term abortions?Just his philosophy?Money?Someone explain,I'll listen,thanks.
6/1/2009

---

a male says....
I find it very odd that everyone on the news last night representing the so-called Right-to-Life crowd were male. This is a women's issue yet the most vocal anti-abortion critics and fanatics are male. From the protestor on Ohio, to local talk radio hosts, men seem to want to tell women what they can do with their bodies, yet are also the first to say we need LESS government -- you can't have it both ways. Beyond that, it is dispicable that right-to-life critics only care about the unborn. Dr. Tiller was, from the reports I have read, was a devoted father and grandfather. The fanatics in the right-to-life movement have deprived those kids of a father and grandfather... way to advance your position! Agree or disagree, Dr. Tiller was offering a legal service to his patients. It is a sad day when an American citizen is targeted by hateful individuals that think their opinion is the only one that matters and to prove the point they take the it upon themselves to enforce their own law on us all.
6/1/2009

---

Janefromdelphos says....
He ended up like the babies.
6/1/2009

---

Toby1948 says....
He lived by the "SWORD and died by the SWORD", a mass murderer.
6/1/2009

---

says....
Killing Dr Tiller was not for man to do. God will judge us all in the end. The absolute fact is all those babies were living human beings ... plain and simple. Women lost their right when they conceived. That child being developed in the womb can not protect itself. It is man's obligation to protect those babies' lives. Both science and the courts have concluded they are lives so why are the mothers who get abortions not charged for hiring a doctor to kill a precious life? It is no different than hiring a gunman to kill your spouse. Why has man made this a debatable issue? Selfishness.....Women, be responsible! No matter how man tries to come up with reasons, fact still is...that which is being formed in the womb is life and man is destroying,killing life. No argument there..It is human life! Period!
6/1/2009

---

caphillprof says....
As I recall, murdering someone in church is an absolute bar to the kingdom of heaven.
6/1/2009

---

Post a comment
Your best chance of getting your comment posted:

• No profanity
• Be civil
• Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

Comment:

Poster:

Enter text seen above:

Read our full use policy.