COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO — A police officer and two civilians were killed after a gunman opened fire at a Colorado Springs, Colorado Planned Parenthood center on Friday, according to a New York Times report.
The shooter reportedly entered the clinic just before noon wearing a trenchcoat and carrying a long weapon described as an assault-style rifle.
Witnesses say the suspect, since identified as 59-year-old Robert Lewis Dear, also brought bags and items resembling propane tanks into the building, according to an NPR report.
In a stand-off that lasted over five hours, Dear opened fire on responding police officers. The officer killed in the attack has been identified as Garrett Swasey, 44, a six-year University of Colorado campus police force veteran.
While exact details of the hostage situation and standoff remain scarce, police at one point reportedly drove a BearCat armored vehicle into the building's lobby and rescued several hostages.
Authorities were eventually able to convince Dear, who's now in custody, to give himself up. His exact motives remain unclear.
"The perpetrator is in custody," said Colorado Springs mayor John Suthers at a news conference, according to the Times. "There is a huge crime scene that has to be processed," he said, "and we have to determine how many victims there are."
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