Anti-Abortion Protester Killed In Michigan

There were two murders this morning in Owosso, Michigan, possibly related, and one victim was a well known anti-abortion protester who was maintaining his vigil outside a local high school:

State police at the Corunna post have confirmed a well-known anti-abortion activist was shot multiple times and killed this morning in front of Owosso High School.

The victim's identity has not yet been released but the shooting occurred around 7:30 a.m., after most students were off the buses and safely inside the building, said Owosso schools transportation supervisor Jayne Campbell.

State police also confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody about 8:15 a.m. at the suspect's home.

Owosso High School secretary Wendy Smith said the students remain in lockdown this morning and confirmed that no students were involved and all are safe with classes going on as normal. The shooting did not occur on school property, Smith said.

Meanwhile, police have completely ringed with police tape a section of North Street in front of the school.

A black car can be seen parked at the corner of North and Whitehaven streets, where a portable oxygen tank is lying in a front yard next to a large sign bearing the image of a baby and the word "Life."

He was identified in later reports as Jim Pouillon of Owosso and was known to carry large, graphic anti-abortion signs during his vigils.

More information will come forward later, but so far he reminds me of a guy I used to see in downtown San Diego quite frequently. He would stand right outside the bank branch where I worked, hold up large and very graphic anti-abortion signs, and scream his message at everyone who passed by. He was passionate, but harmless.

We don't know yet whether the shooting was related to his protest activities, but if it is, the question now is whether those who proclaimed such outrage at the shooting death of abortion doctor George Tiller will likewise condemn this act.

UPDATE: Here's more on the victim:

An anti-abortion activist gunned down Friday morning in front of Owosso High School has been identified as James Lawrence Pouillon, 63, of Owosso.

Pouillon was a longtime abortion protester, known for his highly vocal and visible public demonstrations around the community and even outside the state.

Longtime friend and fellow activist Judy Climer, president of Flint Right to Life, described Pouillon as "just a nice, elderly gentleman who was disabled, used an oxygen tank and wore leg braces."

Climer said Pouillon had a regular weekly schedule of visits to abortion clinics in Flint and Saginaw, where he would park across the street and pray when abortions were allegedly being conducted.

"I knew him very well. He told me one time God put in his heart a passion for the little babies that have the right to be born and they were being denied that right," said Climer, who said Pouillon often stopped at her office for coffee breaks as he drove from one location to another to demonstrate.

"He even told me once he'd be willing to die for that belief. That's what I hear him saying right now."

Climer said Pouillon called her last week and told her he planned to be in Flint later today, parked across the street from the Feminine Health Care Center, 2032 S. Saginaw Street.

"He always comes. He would even go up to Saginaw at 7:30 a.m. and pray, then come here to Flint at noon," said Climer. "This was a passion he's had for 20 years, to just pray that abortion would come to an end and that women would see the truth that abortion is murder."

UPDATE2: If true, this is really sick (from The BlogProf):

Apparently, the shooter killed Mike Fuoss (the second victim) for some reason. That reason is unknown since Mike was apparently a nice guy and his wife has brain tumors.

Then, he decided that since he's going to jail anyway that he was going to "kill that ass", where that ass was Jim P the sign guy.