WICHITA, Kan. - George Tiller, the nation’s most well known abortion doctor, was shot to death Sunday morning as he walked into church. A person of interest is in custody in a Johnson County detention center.
Tiller, 67, was shot just after 10 a.m. at Reformation Lutheran Church, located at 7601 E. 13th St., where he is a member of the congregation.
Police spokesman Gordon Bassham said witnesses provided a license number of the car the killer used to speed away from the church.
Officers said they had been looking for a white male who was driving a 1993 powder blue Ford Taurus with Kansas license plate 225 BAB. The vehicle is registered to an owner in Merriam, which is in the Kansas City area.
Johnson County Sheriff's deputies stopped Scott Roeder on I-35 between the two main Gardner exits around 1:30 p.m. He surrendered without incident. Deputies did not find any weapons on him.
"We shut down I-35 and directed him to come back to us. He complied with our request. He was arrested and taken into custody," Lt. Mike Phannestiel said.
Roeder was transported from Johnson County and booked into the Sedgwick County jail. Roeder was expected to be charged with one count of first degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
Officials say they think Roeder acted alone but are investigating any ties he may have had with anti-abortion groups.
Roeder's ex-wife Lindsey Roeder spoke to NBC Action News on Monday in response to this incident.
Several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and KBI, had been called in to help with this high-profile case.
The Wichita doctor is one of the few doctors nationwide who performs late-term abortions at his clinic, Women’s Health Care Services.
Protesters blockaded Tiller's clinic during Operation Rescue's "Summer of Mercy" protests in 1991 and in 1993, Tiller was shot in the arms by protestor Rachelle Shannon.
On May 1, his clinic was vandalized. Vandals cut wires to outdoor lights and surveillance cameras. They also sliced a hole in the roof and plugged downspouts. Rain then poured into the clinic causing thousands of dollars of damage. Tiller reportedly asked the FBI to investigate the incident.
Click on the Next Page to Read Statements from Tiller's Family, the governor of Kansas and the Leaders of Anti-Abortion Groups
