CASPER, Wyoming (AP) — An abortion clinic that will open next month in conservative Wyoming broke Through a chimney that police say lit up intentionally, most likely because someone realized he was fleeing construction with what appeared to be a can of gasoline and a bag.
The chimney broke the interior of the building being renovated to house the clinic in Casper, the largest city at the time in a state where opposition to abortion is widespread.
The clinic, which also planned to provide other fitness services to women, was scheduled to open in June as the state’s current stand to offer abortions. The only existing position in Wyoming where women can have abortions is at a Jackson hospital, 452 miles away.
A user who called the government before dawn saw him flee the construction with what appeared to be a can of gasoline and a black bag, police said in a Facebook post. Investigators were reviewing video footage of the domain in hopes of identifying the suspect or generating a description of the suspect, police said. No injuries were reported.
Julie Burkhart, the clinic’s director, said clinic organizers had won harassing emails and phone messages.
“Whether he opposes abortion or abortion rights, he’s not going to make abortion go away,” said Burkhart, a former associate of Dr. George Tiller, an abortion provider who was shot dead at the church in Wichita, Kansas. in 2009.
Protests were organized this spring through warring parties over abortion at the long-running clinic, and symptoms opposing abortion were visible Wednesday in a window of an apartment next to the building.
Wyoming is one of thirteen U. S. states. with a so-called activation law that would immediately ban abortion if Roe v. Wade, which legalized it nationally, was overturned by the U. S. Supreme Court. USA A leaked draft resolution suggests that this will happen soon.
Police temporarily closed the street where the small building is located while officials investigated. Several windows of the building were broken and smoke damaged the view around a damaged window.