P. Parenthood Shooter Charged with 1st Degree Murder
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The suspect in the Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting made his first court appearance Monday by videoconference where he learned he faces first-degree murder charges.
Robert Lewis Dear, 57, is accused of killing three people, including a police officer and two civilians, and wounding nine others.
Dear's attorney, public defender Daniel King, stood next to him at the El Paso County Jail where he's been held since surrendering after Friday's five-hour siege.
The white-bearded suspect wore a padded vest with black straps, which authorities described as a standard-issue "safety smock." He gazed downward during most of the proceedings. Relatives of the victims watched from a courtroom.
The minimum penalty for Dear's first-degree murder charge is life in prison and the death penalty the maximum. Following the hearing, District Attorney Dan May said Dear could face additional charges.
Police have not officially identified a motive for the lethal attack, but many witnesses believe Dear was motivated by his opposition to abortion.
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