Case Study: David Gunn
David Gunn was an abortion provider and doctor in Pensacola, Florida (Item 1). Gunn was murdered on March 10th, 1993 by anti-abortion extremist Michael Frederick Griffin, reportedly yelling “Don't kill any more babies” before shooting Gunn (Item 2). Prior to Gunn’s murder, “wanted-style” posters depicting Gunn’s face with a list of his “crimes” were displayed throughout the state of Florida (Item 3). This shooting was the first murder of an abortion provider and sparked important legislation, such as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Still, Gunn’s murder also represented a first step in the anti-abortion movement’s radical, violent campaign that has since included at least 17 murders and attempted murders.
David Gunn
This is a photograph of Dr. David Gunn in his clinic, taken less than a year before his assassination.
David Gunn's Murder
Only weeks after his assassination, David Gunn's story struck nationwide outrage. This New York Times article from 1993 reports on the event.
This New York Times article, entitled "The Clinic Gunman and the Victim: The Abortion Fight Reflected in Two Lives," was published on March 14th, 1993, merely weeks after Dr. David Gunn's murder.
The article highlights David Gunn's commitment to providing abortion services to women in need, even in spite of the violence Gunn encountered leading up to his death (including being threatened and stalked).
An interesting aspect of this article is the entire section dedicated to Gunn's religious upbringing. According to the article, "Gunn was raised in a family whose devout Church of Christ religion forbids abortion" and that "[no one] in family had known that David [Gunn] performed abortions until they found out when they watched the news of the killing on television." According to conversations with his nursing staff, "Gunn was a young man when he left the Church. He was committed to a woman's freedom to choose, and he had seen too many cases of abuse and neglect, and too many unwanted babies to believe that every pregnancy should be brought to term."
In Gunn's case, the pro-life ideologies of his church community were impeding his individual values. But as we see these religious ideals in a new light, with Griffin's (Gunn's murder) comment, "we’re all commanded [by God] to protect the innocent children. I just accepted that responsibility, I guess."
These radically different outcomes of the same Christian ideology are summarized in the article by simply concluding, "One fought to insure choice. One fought to halt abortion."
David Gunn Wanted-Style Poster
This "wanted-style" poster is an example of the propaganda utilized by the anti-abortion movement before Gunn's murder. These circulated around Pensacola in 1992, only a year before Gunn's murder.
This "wanted poster" was posted around Pensacola as a threat to Gunn's life for "killing babies," one of the many forms of propaganda used by anti-abortion advocates.
The poster includes Gunn's picture, his home address, a description of his appearance, the address of his work, his medical license number, and more.
1. ACLU of Virginia. David Gunn. 1993. https://m.facebook.com/acluofvirginia/posts/10156664444482631/ (accessed April 2, 2023).
2. Rimer, Sara. “The Clinic Gunman and the Victim: Abortion Fight Reflected with 2 Lives.” The New York Times. March 14, 1993. https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/14/us/the-clinic-gunman-and-the-victim-abortion-fight-reflected-in-2-lives.html (accessed March 31, 2023).
3. “Threats Against Doctors.” Feminist Majority Foundation. 2023. https://feminist.org/our-work/national-clinic-access-project/wanted-posters-used-to-threaten-doctors/ (accessed April 2, 2023).