Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting court outbursts

The gunman who killed three and injured nine in a 6-hour shooting spree at a Planned Parenthood clinic called himself a “warrior for the babies”, while being formally charged with the crimes on Wednesday.

A man accused of killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic is set to learn the charges he will face in the attack.

“He ranted that he saw atrocities in the clinic and lots of blood”.

“Let it all come out”, he said in one of a series of outbursts that seemed to remove any doubt about his motivation.

Uncredited/AP The accused killer also said “no more baby parts” after his arrest.

“Planned Parenthood and my lawyer are in cahoots to shut me up”. Dear also told the judge that there was no need for a trial as “I’m guilty”.

When lawyers spoke about a listing of those wounded in the incident, Dear – his facial expression framed by a shock of hair – blurted out, “Could you add the babies that were to be aborted that day?”

King, who also defended Aurora, Colo. movie theater shooter James Holmes, asked the judge to impose a gag order on participants to limit publicity around the trial. Prosecutors plan on entering 179 various counts against Dear, which include murder charges associated with the deaths of the three people who died in the November shooting.

“I am a warrior for the babies!” he yelled at another point in the proceedings.

King questioned whether Dear was competent to stand trial.

In his first in-person court appearance since his arrest, Dear interrupted the hearing on Wednesday with at least 17 outbursts.

Dear has lived in remote locations without electricity or running water and was known to hold survivalist ideas. If convicted, Dear could be executed, with District Attorney Dan May saying that a decision will be made about what sentence to seek within two months of Dear’s arraignment. Dear killed a 44 year old police officer, two civilians and wounded nine others.

“The situation has been resolved and there’s no continuing peril to the citizens of Colorado Springs”, said Mayor John Suthers. Other Planned Parenthood employees and their clients were ushered to safety by responding police officers.

The charges against Mr. Dear are so numerous that Mr. King waived the right to have them read aloud in court.