Statements made
Yesterday most Republican presidential candidates began responding to Friday’s Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting. Trump blamed it on mental illness, Carly Fiorina implored protestors — whether Black Lives Matter or anti-abortion — to be peaceful, and Mike Huckabee put it bluntly, calling the shooting “domestic terrorism.” Via The Washington Post.
Eight things
Eight must-know things about the shooting and its political context. Via Vox.
Death penalty
Accused killer Robert Lewis Dear could face the death penalty, experts say. Via The Gazette.
The victims
The victims in the Planned Parenthood attack were all parents. One was an Iraq War vet, another a police officer and the third a mother at the clinic to support her friend. Via The Denver Post.
Help out
Looking to donate to the families of the victims? Here’s how. Via The Gazette.
Koch money
No surprise here. The billionaire Koch brothers are pumping money into conservative groups in swing-state Colorado in advance of the 2016 election. John Frank, of The Denver Post, dug through 2014 tax filings and found that the biggest benefactor was CitizenLink, the media arm of Focus on the Family, followed by IACE Action and the Colorado Women’s Alliance.
Police killing
An Aurora police cruiser was stolen. An officer was hit and injured after a short car chase. And police fired and killed the man who stole the car. Via The Aurora Sentinel.
Budget cuts
Colorado’s facing a $160 million deficit and lawmakers are entertaining mid-year budget cuts. Gov. John Hickenlooper is pleading: “No.” Via The Denver Post.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons, Flickr.
