Today in 1993: OBGYN David Gunn assassinated by 'Pro-Life' terrorist

Today marks the anniversary of the first assassination of an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor by an anti-abortion terrorist in America. Today, anti-abortion terror attacks are on the rise.

OB-GYN Dr. David Lomond Gunn was passionate about women’s reproductive health and dedicated to providing his patients with the care they needed, including safe abortion care.

When abortion clinics in both urban and rural areas of the South couldn't find any skilled obstetrician gynecologists to provide abortions, Dr. Gunn decided that he was not going leave those patients behind. At the time, anti-abortion terror attacks were rampant across the U.S. and had scared away many OBGYNs from providing care who otherwise would have. So, multiple times a week, the 47-year-old father of two left his Alabama home and drove to locations across the region to provide patients with safe abortions.

On March 10, 1993, in Pensecola, Florida, Dr. Gunn had just arrived at Women's Medical Services and was walking toward the rear entrance when he was fatally shot three times in the back by 31-year-old Michael Frederick Griffin. He had been lying in wait for the obstetrician gynecologist to arrive.

The terrorist shouted, “Don’t kill any more babies!” and then shot the doctor point blank.

He said he was acting “for God.”

It was the first assassination of an abortion provider in the U.S.

The assassin was involved with Rescue America, a militant group led by Jon Treshman. Rescue America was holding an anti-abortion protest at the clinic that day. It was organized by John Burt, a former Ku Klux Klan member turned fundamentalist preacher who, in 2004, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for child sexual abuse. Burt told the New York Times that “moments after demonstrators heard a series of shots, Mr. Griffin came out from the rear of the building, approached a police officer and said, ‘I've just shot Dr. Gunn.’"

A shocked witness of Dr. Gunn's assassination told the Washington Post that the anti-abortion protesters had acted strangely right after the shooting. "It looked like they were just happy," he said.

As I noted in the in-depth report Fetal Personhood Violence, in the year before Dr. Gunn’s assassination, anti-choice terrorists launched a campaign of terror against him.

Intimidation.

Harassment.

Stalking.

The terrorists hung “WANTED” posters across the region— even at his daughter's school. These “WANTED” posters featured Dr. Gunn’s photograph, home address, phone number, his work schedule, a description of his vehicle and his license plate number, and other personal and identifying details.

After Dr. Gunn was assassinated, anti-abortion terrorists released a statement in support of his assassin.

The statement said that assassinating abortion providers is “a godly action.”

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There is an inherent danger in providing compregensive reproductive health care, as the bodies of disempowered and marginalized groups are a site of political, social, and cultural contestation of power and control. It takes courage, love, and a burning for justice to step into that space and provide vital, patient-centered abortion care.

Thirty years ago today, to honor of Dr. David Lomond Gunn's bravery, compassion, and courage, and all those who have continued in his footsteps, March 10th was designated Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.

Today, as anti-abortion terrorist attacks are again on the rise, rePro-Truth honors the memory and work of Dr. David Lomond Gunn, and gives thanks for all those dedicated to providing safe abortion care.