Iraq War Vet, Mother of 2 Slain in Planned Parenthood Shooting
— -- A mother of two children and an Iraq war veteran, both of whom were accompanying friends to the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic, have been identified as the two civilians killed in the shooting that also left a police officer dead and nine others wounded.
Jennifer Markovsky, 35, was at the Colorado Springs clinic Friday with a friend, Markovsky's father John Ah-King told ABC News. Markvosky's friend was injured during the shooting and taken to a hospital.
Markovsky lived in Colorado with her husband, Paul, and her son and daughter.
Ah-King said his daughter “always was a [great] woman and she would help anyone in need.”
The second civilian killed was identified as Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, a veteran of the Iraq War and the father of two, a relative of Stewart told ABC News.
Stewart was accompanying someone at the clinic when he was killed, Amburh Butler, a lifelong friend and family spokeswoman, told The Associated Press.
Markovsky and Stewart’s identities were confirmed by officials this afternoon, who called this a preliminary identification, adding that a full identification would be provided once autopsies were completed.
The third victim was Garrett Swasey, a University of Colorado-Colorado Springs campus officer who responded to the clinic in support of Colorado Springs police. Swasey's wife said in a statement today that, "Helping others brought him deep satisfaction and being a police officer was a part of him. In the end, his last act was for the safety and wellbeing of others and was a tribute to his life."
Nine were injured in the shooting. The suspected gunman was taken into custody.
