Murder of David Gunn

David Gunn
Born
David Lomond Gunn

(1945-11-16)November 16, 1945
Tennessee, U.S.
DiedMarch 10, 1993(1993-03-10) (aged 47)
Cause of deathGunshot wounds
Alma materVanderbilt University
University of Kentucky
OccupationPhysician

On March 10, 1993, Dr. David Gunn was fatally shot by anti-abortion extremist Michael Frederick Griffin in Pensacola, Florida. It was the first documented killing of an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor where the stated intention of the perpetrator was to prevent a doctor from providing abortion care in an act of anti-abortion violence in the United States.[1]

A jury deliberated three hours before finding Griffin guilty on March 4, 1994. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, which he is serving at Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Milton, Florida.[2] In November 2017, the Florida Commission on Offender Review set Griffin's tentative release date for March 4, 2043. Griffin can seek a review of his release date in 2024.[3][4]

  1. ^ Kushner, Harvey (2003). Encyclopedia of Terrorism. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan: SAGE Publications. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7619-2408-1. In 1993... Griffin became the first activist to murder an abortion provider, ushering in a new level of terrorism in the abortion wars.
  2. ^ Florida DoC Details Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, dc.state.fl.us; accessed November 6, 2014.
  3. ^ "Michael Griffin, murderer of Pensacola abortion doctor David Gunn, is denied parole". Pensacola News Journal. November 1, 2017.
  4. ^ Reedy, Joe. "Man who killed Alabama abortion doctor told no parole until 2043". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2022-05-17.