David Gunn (doctor)

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See also: Murder of David Gunn
David Gunn
DavidGunn(doctor)Image.jpg
Born(1945-11-16)November 16, 1945
DiedMarch 10, 1993(1993-03-10) (aged 47)
Pensacola, Florida
Cause of deathAssassination by gunshot
Alma materVanderbilt University
University of Kentucky
OccupationPhysician
Known forPerforming abortions

David Gunn (November 16, 1945 – March 10, 1993)[1] was an American physician. He received his bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and earned his M.D. at the University of Kentucky. Gunn moved to Brewton, Alabama, after his residency, choosing to provide OB/GYN and abortion services in rural United States.

Gunn was murdered outside his clinic in Pensacola, Florida, by anti-abortionist Michael F. Griffin,[2][3][4] described by The New York Times as "a fundamentalist Christian and a loner with a bad temper".[5] Griffin originally claimed to be acting on behalf of God; his attorneys later argued that he had been "brainwashed" by another pro-life activist, John Burt.[6]

From March 1993 through May 2009, Gunn was the first of a total of four doctors murdered by killers proclaiming pro-life motivation. Others killed were doctors Barnett Slepian, John Britton and George Tiller. Gunn's murder helped lead to the passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.[5] Gunn's death also prompted Paul Jennings Hill, an American minister, to issue the Defensive Action Statement, signed by 30 pro-life leaders, which justifies the killing of abortion doctors to protect unborn children.[7]

In popular culture[]

In 1994, Gunn's violent death inspired the first official single "Get Your Gunn" by rock band Marilyn Manson. The lead singer, Marilyn Manson, explained in a 1999 Rolling Stone op-ed piece on the Columbine High School Massacre, that to him, Gunn's murder by pro-life activists was the ultimate hypocrisy he had witnessed as a young adult.[8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998
  2. ^ 2 abortion crusaders meet - and 1 is dead, Chicago Tribune, March 19, 1993
  3. ^ William Booth (March 11, 1993). "Doctor Killed During Abortion Protest". The Washington Post. p. A01. Archived from the original on 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  4. ^ Kushner, Harvey (2003). Encyclopedia of Terrorism. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan: SAGE Publications. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7619-2408-1. Retrieved 14 February 2010. In 1993 ... Griffin became the first activist to murder an abortion provider, ushering in a new level of terrorism in the abortion wars.
  5. ^ a b Sara Rimer (March 14, 1993). "The Clinic Gunman and the Victim: Abortion Fight Reflected in 2 Lives". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  6. ^ Rohter, Larry (March 5, 1994). "Towering Over the Abortion Foe's Trial: His Leader". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2011-05-11. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  7. ^ Donald Spitz. "Defensive Action Statement". Pro-Life Virginia. Archived from the original on 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
  8. ^ Marilyn, Manson (1999-05-28). "Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?". Rolling Stone. No. 815. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2010-11-17.

External links[]


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