Authorities Charge 18-Year-Old With Throwing Lit Incendiary Device At A Planned Parenthood Facility In Delaware
Video surveillance recorded Samuel James Gulick standing on the porch of the Planned Parenthood building and spray-painting in red letters the Crusader slogan “Deus vult” (God wills it).
The New York Times:
Man Charged With Throwing Lit Incendiary Device At Planned Parenthood
The authorities have charged an 18-year-old accused of lighting an incendiary device and throwing it at a Planned Parenthood building in Delaware. The teenager, Samuel James Gulick, of Middletown, Del., was charged on Monday with three counts: maliciously damaging a building used in interstate commerce through the use of fire or destructive device; intentionally damaging a facility that provides reproductive health services; and possession of an unregistered destructive device under the National Firearms Act, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. (Diaz, 1/7)
BuzzFeed:
Man Charged With Attacking Planned Parenthood Site
Video surveillance captured the suspect driving by the building 10 minutes before the attack. A few minutes later, Gulick approaches the facility, pulls something out of a plastic bag, and scrawls “Deus Vult” in red letters on the front wall, right beneath a blue Planned Parenthood sign that reads "Health Care Happens Here." The phrase means "God Wills It" and started as a meme among Trump supporters in 2016, referencing a holy war between Muslims and Christians.Gulick then steps off the porch and waits until a car passes before lighting an object on fire and lobbing it at the window, according to the criminal complaint. The "destructive device" explodes and begins to burn as Gulick runs away. The fire, however, self-extinguishes in about one minute. (Sacks and Broderick, 1/7)
Delaware News Journal:
Middletown Man Charged After Explosive Damages Newark Planned Parenthood
Law enforcement identified a car operated by Gulick fleeing the scene through video surveillance taken from another business across the street, court documents said. Law enforcement also identified Gulick through social media postings attributed to him, including posts containing the phrase “Deus Vult” and several anti-abortion posts, court documents said. "Deus Vult" is Latin for "God wills [it]," the old battle cry of the Crusaders, which has been co-opted by the alt-right. Gulick was arrested by the FBI without incident on Saturday. (Perez, 1/6)
ABC News:
Delaware Man Charged With Throwing Molotov Cocktail At Planned Parenthood Office, Feds Say
If convicted as charged, he could face 5 to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. It's unclear if he has retained an attorney. (Allen, 1/8)
In other news —
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Will Cincinnati's Sole Abortion Clinic Close? Maybe Not.
Ohio took the first step toward closing Cincinnati's sole abortion clinic, but the location's fate might not be known for months. Planned Parenthood's Mount Auburn Health Center is one of six remaining surgical abortion clinics in the state, a number that has dwindled amid restrictions passed by the GOP-controlled state Legislature. If the location were to close, Cincinnati would become one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country without an abortion clinic. (Balmert, 1/7)