Shootings at two abortion clinics a short distance apart Friday killed two women and wounded at least five other people.
The assailant at both scenes was described by witnesses as a man in his early 30s dressed in black. There were no arrests."He came running out with a shotgun," said a worker at a Planned Parenthood clinic, where the shootings began around 10:15 a.m. "If I didn't jump down the steps he would've shot me, too."
Detective Capt. Frank Hayes confirmed a woman died at the Planned Parenthood clinic in this Boston suburb. Three people were wounded there, and three others were wounded at the Preterm Health Services clinic a mile or two away on the same street.
Patty Jacobs, a spokeswoman at Beth Israel Hospital, said one of the wounded women died later in the emergency room. She said the victim had suffered at least five gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear which clinic she had been at.
"A man came in with a black duffel bag. He took out a rifle," said one witness at the Preterm clinic who declined to give his name. "He said, `Is this Preterm?' The woman answering the phone said, `Yes,' and he dropped the bag and opened fire."
Nicki Gamble, president of Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts, said an employee had been killed but had no other details. Speaking before the hospital said a second woman had died, she said one of the three wounded there was a staff member and the other two were people who escort patients.
At the Preterm clinic, one of the wounded was a male security guard; there were no details on the other two except that they were women.
Paramedics worked at the scene helping the injured.
"Someone ran into the office and said they're shooting people," said Kathy Circeo, who works in a neighboring dentist's office.
The witness said the gunman shot the receptionist and an office worker, then fled down a hallway. A security guard at the clinic was wounded when he exchanged fire with the man.
Witnesses said the gunman ran down the steps and then down the street about 20 feet, before turning and firing at a group of people who had just run out of the building.
"It just shocked me to see everybody running out. Nobody was walking. People were jumping (off) the stairs," said Debbie Davis, who was standing outside Preterm when the shootings took place.
It was the third fatal shooting at a U.S. abortion clinic in recent years.