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Robert Dear, Charged in 2015 Colorado Planned Parenthood Shooting, Dies in Federal Custody

Robert Dear, 67, died of natural causes at a federal prison medical center in Springfield, Missouri. Dear had been federally charged in 2019 for the Nov. 27, 2015, attack on a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic but was repeatedly found incompetent to stand trial amid disputes over forced medication for a diagnosed delusional disorder. The assault left three people dead — Ke’Arre Stewart, Jennifer Markovsky and officer Garrett Swasey — and wounded nine others. Dear's death ends the possibility of a criminal trial and leaves many questions unresolved for victims and the community.

07:25 AM, 11/27/2025Security
Robert Dear, Charged in 2015 Colorado Planned Parenthood Shooting, Dies in Federal Custody

Robert Dear, 67, who was charged in the 2015 attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs that killed three people, died of natural causes Saturday at the Federal Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said.

Attack and casualties

Federal prosecutors charged Dear in 2019 after an indictment that described the Nov. 27, 2015, attack. Authorities say Dear traveled to the clinic armed with multiple firearms — including four SKS rifles, several other rifles, five handguns and a shotgun — along with more than 500 rounds of ammunition and propane tanks. Prosecutors say he intended to wage what he described as a 'war' because the clinic provided abortion services.

According to prosecutors, Dear first fired at people near his vehicle, then opened fire on others outside the clinic before forcing his way inside. The attack left three people dead — Ke’Arre Stewart, 29; Jennifer Markovsky, 36; and campus police officer Garrett Swasey — and wounded nine others. During the roughly five-hour standoff that followed, Dear repeatedly fired at firefighters and law enforcement officers; one officer was killed and several were injured in the confrontation.

Legal proceedings and custody

Dear's case was delayed for years amid disputes over whether he could be forcibly medicated for a diagnosed delusional disorder. He was repeatedly found incompetent to stand trial, and his prosecution did not progress to a criminal verdict. Most recently, Dear had been civilly committed to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

"All three victims, and this community, deserved the full measure of justice in this case, but they are now denied that possibility," said Michael J. Allen, the 4th Judicial District Attorney whose office had pursued state charges.

Dear's death means the prospect of a criminal trial and the chance for survivors and families to see the case resolved in court has ended, leaving unanswered questions for those affected by the 2015 attack.

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