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| US abortion doctor is shot dead | US abortion doctor is shot dead |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A prominent US abortion doctor has been shot dead at a church in Wichita, in his home state of Kansas. | |
| Sixty-seven year-old George Tiller was killed just after 1000 (1500 GMT) at the Reformation Lutheran Church. | Sixty-seven year-old George Tiller was killed just after 1000 (1500 GMT) at the Reformation Lutheran Church. |
| Dr Tiller - one of the few US doctors who performed so-called late-term abortions - had been a long-time target of anti-abortionists. | Dr Tiller - one of the few US doctors who performed so-called late-term abortions - had been a long-time target of anti-abortionists. |
| His clinic had often been the site of demonstrations, and he was shot and wounded by an assailant 16 years ago. | His clinic had often been the site of demonstrations, and he was shot and wounded by an assailant 16 years ago. |
| Dr Tiller's lawyer, Dan Monnat, said he was gunned down as he served as an usher during a morning service. | Dr Tiller's lawyer, Dan Monnat, said he was gunned down as he served as an usher during a morning service. |
| Police say the attacker, a white man, then fled in a car. | Police say the attacker, a white man, then fled in a car. |
| Dr Tiller was shot in the lobby of the church, reports say | Dr Tiller was shot in the lobby of the church, reports say |
| No suspects are yet in custody and the police have not made a statement about the possible motive. | No suspects are yet in custody and the police have not made a statement about the possible motive. |
| The shooting comes two weeks after President Barack Obama made a major speech on abortion at one of the main Catholic universities in the US. | The shooting comes two weeks after President Barack Obama made a major speech on abortion at one of the main Catholic universities in the US. |
| Correspondents say the president is attempting to defuse the abortion issue - a highly emotive subject in US public life - by arguing that while it should remain legal, the government should do all it can to limit the number of unwanted pregnancies. | Correspondents say the president is attempting to defuse the abortion issue - a highly emotive subject in US public life - by arguing that while it should remain legal, the government should do all it can to limit the number of unwanted pregnancies. |
| But members of the anti-abortion movement have been angered by the president's reversal of restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and for family-planning groups which carry out or facilitate abortions outside the US. | But members of the anti-abortion movement have been angered by the president's reversal of restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and for family-planning groups which carry out or facilitate abortions outside the US. |
| Dr Tiller's killing, however, was swiftly denounced by anti-abortionists. | Dr Tiller's killing, however, was swiftly denounced by anti-abortionists. |
| "We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning," anti-abortion group Operation Rescue said on its website. | "We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning," anti-abortion group Operation Rescue said on its website. |
| A late-term abortion is the termination of a foetus beyond the 20th week of gestation, when it is potentially old enough to survive outside the womb. |