Obama, NJ Planned Parenthood condemn Colorado shootings: “Enough is Enough”

Responding to Friday’s deadly shootings at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, President Obama said, "Enough is enough."

The president made a statement on Saturday morning condemning the killing of three people, including a University of Colorado police officer, Garrett Swasey, a day after a gunman opened fire at the clinic.

“The last thing Americans should have to do, over the holidays or any day, is comfort the families of people killed by gun violence,” said the president in the statement. “And yet, two days after Thanksgiving, that’s what we are forced to do again.”

Police identified the shooter as 57-year-old Robert Lewis Dear of North Carolina. According to a report by the Associated Press, jail booking records indicate Dear is due in court on Monday, though very little additional information is available about him, including his motivations and whether he had any connection to Planned Parenthood.

According to the AP report, Dear “burst into a Planned Parenthood clinic and opened fire, launching several gun battles and an hours-long standoff with police as

patients and staff took cover under furniture and inside locked rooms. By the time the shooter surrendered, three people were killed — including a police officer — and nine others were wounded, authorities said.”

"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," said Planned Parenthood in a written statement. "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."

Judith Selzer, Vice President External Affairs of Planned Parenthood of Central and Greater Northern New Jersey, told NJ101.5 via email, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of people who were harmed and we are grateful to law enforcement agencies and Planned Parenthood staff who handled this tragedy with strength and professionalism.

“Here in New Jersey and across the country, Planned Parenthood has strong security measures in place, works closely with law enforcement agencies, and has a very strong safety record,” she wrote.  “Our health centers are open and seeing patients this weekend under normal operating hours.”

Obama’s statement ended with a call for action.

“If we truly care about this — if we're going to offer up our thoughts and prayers again, for God knows how many times, with a truly clean conscience -- -- then we have to do something about the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them,” he said in the White House statement. “Enough is enough.”