Death is death.
abcnews.com
Doctor Killed by Sniper
‘Somebody Lay in Wait'
Dr. Slepian temporarily closed his office in 1992 during massive anti-abortion protests by Operation Rescue.
The Associated Press
A M H E R S T, N.Y., Oct. 24 — A doctor who performed abortions and had been the target of anti-abortion protesters was shot and killed by a sniper.
Dr. Barnett Slepian, 51, was gunned down by a single shot from a high-powered rifle Friday night. The bullet crashed through a kitchen window as Slepian paused in an office area of his house, Amherst police said.
Police believe the assassin hid behind a swimming pool in the backyard of the doctor's house, The Buffalo News reported.
“Somebody lay in wait,” said Amherst Police Chief John B. Askey.
FBI Warned of Attacks
The shooting took place at about 10 p.m. Amherst is near Buffalo.
The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms also are investigating.
The FBI and Candadian police have warned of possible sniper attacks against doctors who perform abortions in the Rochester area and Canada. The warning came after three attacks on doctors who performed abortions in Canada since 1994.
Last Oct. 28, a doctor in Richmond, N.Y., was shot while he sat in his home. He was not hit, but he received cuts from debris caused by the shot.
Wouldn't Be Deterred
Anti-abortion activists claimed a victory when Slepian temporarily closed his Amherst office in 1992 during the “Spring of Life,” the massive protest by the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue in the Buffalo area.
Slepian told colleagues that he closed the office to avoid inconveniencing other doctors in his building, but would perform abortions at a clinic in Buffalo.
Slepian told friends he was determined not to let the frequent confrontations with protesters deter him.
“He said, ‘They're not going to scare me. They're not going to threaten me,'” said Harvey Rogers, a family friend and lawyer who represented Slepian after the doctor faced charges following a clash with protesters in front of his home in 1988.
Slepian had dropped by Rogers' son-in-law's home a few hours before the shooting to drop off a birthday present, Rogers said.
“It's probably still sitting there,” he said.
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