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| suspect vehicle fleeing after the arson attack photo from Peoria Police Department Facebook page |
According to police spokesperson Semone Roth, police received a report of an "unknown person throwing a Molotov cocktail" into the abortion business at about 11:30 pm. Thankfully, there were no injuries. Fire officials estimated damages of over $150,000. Planned Parenthood later said that their costs could be upward of $1 million.
No suspects have been arrested or identified at the time of writing. Footage obtained by police identified a white pickup truck with a red driver's side door used by the arsonist. The police have been unable to locate it so far.
Peoria Fire Department Chief Shawn Sollberger told the New York Times Tuesday that investigators were working on an arrest warrant.
The attack is indicative of escalating political tensions on the abortion issue. This violent attack is wrong, just like attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers, political organizations, and churches are wrong.
In May of 2021, a full year before the Supreme Court's draft decision for Dobbs v. Jackson leaked, the pro-life Women's Care Center in Peoria was the target of an arson attack. In August 2022, with help from pro-life donations, the group opened a new "super center" down the street from the same Planned Parenthood clinic that was attacked this week.
We echo the sentiment of Mary Kate Zander, the executive director of Illinois Right to Life. She told the Associated Press, “We would never condone violence against any Planned Parenthood or any other abortion clinic. The primary reason that we stand against abortion is that it’s an act of violence. So it would be hypocritical of us to not say the same in the case of an act of violence against abortion workers.”
