Official: Activist killed outside Mich. school

[samanthajane13]

OWOSSO, Mich. – A Michigan school official says a man who was a well-known anti-abortion activist was shot and killed near a high school.

Business manager for Owosso Public Schools Julie Omer says the shooting took place around 7:20 a.m. Friday. She said police told school officials a suspect was taken into custody. No students were injured.

Michigan State Police have not officially released the victim's identity.

But Omer says police disclosed to school officials the identity of the man, who is often seen carrying signs with anti-abortion slogans. She stressed that police are not making any connection between his views and the shooting.

Omer says all Owosso district schools were locked down, but reopened after the suspect was arrested.

Authorities were investigating a second shooting in the town, but did not say whether the two incidents were related.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090911/ap_on_re_us/us_activist_killed_mich

[samanthajane13]

Mich. man charged in 2 deaths, wanted to kill 3rd
By TIM MARTIN and ED WHITE, Associated Press Writers Tim Martin And Ed White, Associated Press Writers – 46 mins ago

OWOSSO, Mich. – A man fatally shot an anti-abortion activist near a Michigan high school Friday, drove to a gravel pit and shot its owner to death and planned to kill a third man, but was arrested before he could act, a prosecutor said.

Harlan James Drake, 33, was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the deaths of James Pouillon, 63, and Mike Fuoss, 61, said Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry.

"The defendant had ill will toward these three individuals — not for the same reason necessarily, but had a grudge," Colbry said.

Before classes were to begin Friday, Pouillon was protesting across the street from Owosso High School about 70 miles northwest of Detroit. Drake then drove by the school and shot Pouillon several times in front of horrified students and parents, officials said.

Owosso Police Chief Michael Compeau said he also believed Pouillon was targeted.

"He was out protesting right across the street from the high school ... and there (were) multiple people around there and that person was targeted," Compeau said.

Witnesses at the school gave police the vehicle's license plate number and authorities traced it to Drake's home in Owosso, officials said.

After Drake left the school, he drove seven miles to the Fuoss Gravel Co. where he gunned down Fuoss in his office, authorities said. The two men knew each other, but officials didn't say how.

Drake returned home where police arrested him in Pouillon's shooting. Drake then told police he was involved in the shooting at the gravel pit, said Shiawassee County Sheriff George Braidwood. It was not immediately clear whether Drake had an attorney.

Later on Friday students outside the high school said Pouillon was a fixture there and regularly held graphic signs of aborted fetuses.

"I can see someone spitting on him or punching him, but shooting him is pretty stupid," said 16-year-old Curtis Wisterman.

Troy Newman, president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, said he wept when he received word that Pouillon, his friend and colleague, had been killed.

"He was just a kind, gentle man who loved life and endeavored to save other people's lives," Newman said.

Although authorities didn't specifically say that Pouillon was targeted for his anti-abortion views, his death was the latest high-profile shooting of a person involved in the abortion debate. On May 31, abortion provider George Tiller was shot to death in his Kansas church.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090911/ap_on_re_us/us_activist_killed_mich

[samanthajane13]

Prosecutors: Gunman with grudge kills 2 in Mich.
By TIM MARTIN and ED WHITE, Associated Press Writers Tim Martin And Ed White, Associated Press Writers – 1 hr 25 mins ago

OWOSSO, Mich. – A man carrying grudges against several people set off on a shooting spree Friday morning, authorities said, killing an abortion protester outside a high school because he didn't like the activist holding a sign with graphic images of a fetus in front of students.

The gunman drove next to a gravel pit business and shot and killed the owner, who apparently also upset him, police said. Authorities believe they stopped a third slaying by catching up with the gunman before he could kill again.

"The defendant had ill will toward these three individuals — not for the same reason necessarily, but had a grudge," said Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry.

Police charged Harlan James Drake, 33, with first-degree murder. He was arraigned by video without an attorney and ordered held without bond. Authorities said he was a truck driver who mostly lived on the road in his cab and had family in the area, but they were mystified by what may have led him to kill.

"Out of a two-month period, he might be here for two days. We have no history of local contact with him," said sheriff's Det. Lt. David Kirk. "It becomes a mystery to us why today all of this transpired."

The shootings started around 7:20 a.m. across the street at Owosso High School, as parents dropped off students before class. James Pouillon, a well-known activist in the town, was standing across the street with a sign that pictured a chubby-cheeked baby with the word "LIFE" on one side and an image of an aborted fetus with the word "ABORTION" on the other.

Pouillon, known as "the sign man" for his years of in-your-face protests against abortion, was a polarizing figure in Owosso, a town of 15,000 best known as the birthplace of 1948 Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey. While inhaling oxygen from a small tank, he could usually be seen with his anti-abortion signs outside schools, the library, city hall, even football games.

"His dedication to his cause was unprecedented," said Tony Young, who tangled with Pouillon during protests outside his car dealership.

The county's chief assistant prosecutor, Sara Edwards, said there didn't appear to be a "triggering event" but Pouillon's presence outside the school seemed to aggravate Drake. It was "the fact that he was outside the high school with his signs in front of children going to school," she said.

The shots came as students and some horrified parents and students watched. The gunman fired several shots from the window of his vehicle as he drove past the school, authorities said.

"I was reading the paper and heard four shots," said Janet Drake, 68, who lives across from the school and is no relation to the alleged gunman. "Those kids have problems with their cars. I thought it was a backfire."

Drake then drove seven miles and down a dead-end country road to Fuoss Gravel Co. and killed Mike Fuoss, 61, who owned the gravel business, said Shiawassee County Sheriff George Braidwood. The two men knew each other, but authorities didn't detail what may have led to his slaying.

Lisa Merkel, Fuoss' sister-in-law, said other family members told her that the suspect's mother worked at the gravel company more than a decade ago.

Someone wrote down Drake's license plate number after Pouillon's shooting and called police, who arrested him before he could fulfill a plan to kill a third man in town, Colbry said. Drake told authorities he was involved in Fuoss' slaying when they questioned him, authorities said.

Linda Strieff was Fuoss' longtime neighbor, and stared at the roped-off crime scene in disbelief.

"That's what's puzzling everybody," Strieff said. "What happened? Why'd the guy snap?"

The shootings come a little more than three months after the slaying of late-term abortion provider George Tiller at his Kansas church. A man with a long history of anti-abortion views, Scott Roeder, has pleaded not guilty to the slaying, and has told The Associated Press that Tiller's killing was justified to save "the lives of unborn children."

Operation Rescue president Troy Newman said Pouillon was a member of the anti-abortion group, adding that he wept Friday when he received word that his friend had been killed. "He was just a kind, gentle man who loved life and endeavored to save other people's lives," Newman said.

The Rev. Rodger DeVore, pastor of the Church of the Nazarene, said Pouillon never seemed to tire and even protested outside the church.

"He did not attend a church because he felt pastors were not strong enough in their defense of the aborted child," DeVore said. "I told him, 'Jim, everyone has to fight in their own armor. You have your approach and we have our approach.' We agreed to disagree."

Pouillon protested for years in front of Tony Young's car dealership, Young Chevrolet Cadillac, holding up anti-abortion slogans and graphic photos. The Michigan Court of Appeals in 1997 struck down a preliminary injunction restricting the protests and he continued until about five years ago.

"This is a guy who put himself out there every day ... for a cause he believed in, and (he) took a hell of a lot of abuse," said lawyer Michael Gildner, who represented Pouillon in a case that reached the federal appeals court. "It angered people, upset people on occasion. That's what free speech is all about."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090912/ap_on_re_us/us_activist_killed_mich

[samanthajane13]

Mich. man leaves town after cops say he was target
By ED WHITE, Associated Press Writer Ed White, Associated Press Writer – 15 mins ago

OWOSSO, Mich. – A real estate agent told he was the third target of a shooting spree that left an abortion protester and a business owner dead said Saturday he fled his home after the violence that claimed two lives in their small Michigan city.

The man charged with the killings, meanwhile, was taken from jail to a hospital to undergo surgery for a self-inflicted wound to his arm, according to a county prosecutor.

James Howe of Owosso said his family was upset after police told him he was an intended target of the Friday shooting spree. He hesitated when asked how he was dealing with allegations.

"How would you hold up if someone was told you were going to be killed?" said Howe, who spoke to The Associated Press by cell phone. He declined to say where he and his family were staying.

Howe also declined to discuss or say whether he knew Harlan James Drake, 33, who is accused of shooting to death anti-abortion activist James Pouillon and gravel pit owner Mike Fuoss. Authorities said when he was arrested Drake told police he also intended to kill Howe.

Drake was taken from the county jail to a hospital Saturday after cutting his arm near the wrist, said Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry. Colbry said he did not know exactly when Drake cut himself or what he used to do so.

"It sounds like he's going to make it, but it's a serious gash, a very serious wound to his arm," Colbry said.

Drake was arraigned Friday without an attorney on first-degree murder charges and ordered held without bond.

Police said little about what might have led Drake — a truck driver who mostly lived on the road in his cab and had family in the area — to kill, other than that he had a grudge against Fuoss and Howe and didn't like Pouillon's graphic anti-abortion signs.

Pouillon, 63, was a polarizing figure in Owosso, a town of 15,000 best known as the birthplace of 1948 Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey. While inhaling oxygen from a small tank, he could usually be seen with his anti-abortion signs outside schools, the library, city hall, even football games.

On Friday morning, Pouillon was in his usual place across the street from the high school, holding a sign that pictured a chubby-cheeked baby with the word "LIFE" on one side and an image of an aborted fetus with the word "ABORTION" on the other. Authorities allege Drake pulled up to him in a truck and opened fire.

Flowers marked the spot Saturday where Pouillon was shot. A note said, "May you rest now."

Chief assistant prosecutor Sara Edwards said there didn't appear to be a "triggering event" but Pouillon's presence outside the school seemed to aggravate Drake. It was "the fact that he was outside the high school with his signs in front of children going to school," she said.

Drake then drove seven miles and down a dead-end country road to Fuoss Gravel Co. and killed Fuoss, 61, who owned the business, said Shiawassee County Sheriff George Braidwood. The two men knew each other, but authorities didn't detail what may have led to his slaying.

Someone wrote down Drake's license plate number after Pouillon's shooting and called police, who said they arrested him before he could fulfill a plan to kill Howe.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090912/ap_on_re_us/us_activist_killed_mich

[samanthajane13]

Family of Mich. shooting suspect cites depression
By TIM MARTIN and ED WHITE, Associated Press Writers Tim Martin And Ed White, Associated Press Writers – 1 hr 34 mins ago

OWOSSO, Mich. – Relatives of a Michigan man charged with fatally shooting two people, including a well-known local abortion protester, said in a statement Monday that he had battled depression and was experiencing problems with his medications.

Harlan Drake's family also does not believe the killings were a political statement or acts of revenge and called him "a gentle giant, who has no history of violence and no criminal history whatsoever," according to the statement issued by an attorney on behalf of Drake's wife, mother and brother.

Drake, 33, is charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shootings Friday of anti-abortion activist James Pouillon and businessman Mike Fuoss. Investigators have said Drake was angered by a graphic sign Pouillon carried while protesting near a high school and that he apparently held a "grudge" against Fuoss and a third intended victim.

"We do not feel these tragic killings were premeditated, a political statement regarding pro life or pro abortion factions, or out of a grudge," said the family's statement issued by attorney Gerry Mason of Port Huron, Mich.

Mason said Monday night that he had been asked to help Drake's family while they waited for a court-appointed lawyer to be named to the case. He said he would not be representing Drake.

The statement did not offer further details and repeated messages seeking comment from family members have gone unanswered.

"We have been overwhelmed by sadness and emotion as we try to understand what happened and why," the statement said.

Authorities said Drake was treated at a hospital following a suicide attempt in jail during the weekend.

Drake shattered a television and used the broken glass to cut his arm Saturday, said Sheriff George Braidwood. Drake was treated at a hospital and returned to the jail that night.

"Since then he's been fine. He's been cooperative. He's been very passive," Braidwood said.

Investigators seized eight firearms from his truck and home and 10,000 rounds of ammunition, said Mike Compeau, Owosso's public safety director.

"It was ammunition for the guns — 22s, shotguns — no assault rifles or anything like that," said Compeau, adding there was no evidence Drake was planning a larger assault.

Pouillon, 63, was a well-known abortion protester in Owosso, 70 miles northwest of Detroit. He was gunned down in a drive-by shooting near the high school. Authorities say Drake was angered by the graphic image of an aborted fetus.

Fuoss, 61, was subsequently shot at his gravel company, just outside Owosso. Investigators say Drake's mother once worked there, but they're not certain how that fits into a possible motive.

Authorities say Drake disclosed plans to pursue a third man, real-estate agent James Howe. Drake's mother also had worked with Howe.

Owosso Public Schools has agreed to allow the Pouillon family to hold a public memorial service Wednesday afternoon at Willman Field, the district's football stadium, because the event was expected to draw a large crowd.

Pouillon's family will pay any expenses, said Rick Mowen, a school board member and owner of Mowen Funeral Home.

"It's strictly a showing of compassion by the district," he said of the decision to use the stadium. "It's not an endorsement of Mr. Pouillon's views."

Interim school superintendent, Susan Wooden, received some phone calls Monday criticizing the choice of location. She said the district has a longstanding policy allowing the community to use its properties.

"There are some people that are fine with that and some people who are disappointed. I'll leave it at that," Wooden said. "I would just ask that those who attend please respect the rights of all those present to peacefully express their views and condolences."

The anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, of which Pouillon was a member, said in a statement that a gathering was planned after the service outside a local Planned Parenthood clinic. The clinic does not perform abortions but makes referrals, according to its Web site.

"We have the occasional protester; Mr. Pouillon was one of them. We will take measures to ensure all of our patients are safe," said Lori Lamerand, president of Planned Parenthood of East Central Michigan.

A private funeral service for Pouillon was held Monday, to be followed by cremation. Fuoss' service will be held Tuesday at Nelson-House Funeral Home in Owosso, followed by burial in Chelsea.

___

Ed White reported from Detroit.


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