Hey there, it's Kathy. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s

early and ad-free on Amazon music included with Prime.

On the morning of November 8th, 1994, a 57-year-old doctor sat down for breakfast in his Vancouver

home. The outspoken obstetrician had been performing abortions for over 20 years,

and during that time, he'd been the target of anti-abortion protesters,

who on occasion set up peaceful pickets outside his home and his office.

But today would be different.

As the doctor ate his breakfast, a sniper's bullet

smashed through the glass doors of the kitchen. It tore into his left thigh, shattering the bone

and severing his femoral artery. The doctor fell to the floor as blood poured from his wound.

He was gravely injured, but somehow he had the wherewithal to use the belt from his bathrobe as a tourniquet,

saving his own life.

Over the next four years, an unknown sniper carried out a reign of terror in Canada and the U.S., targeting abortion providers on both sides of the border, leading investigators on a global manhunt.

I'm Kathy Kinsora, and this is History of the 90s.

On this episode, we look back at the violent era that gave rise to a man known as the

abortion sniper.

I'm probably stating the obvious when I say the issue of abortion is complicated and highly

contentious. In this episode, we're not going to try to tackle the whole issue.

Instead, we're going to focus on one facet in particular.

A rise in violence against abortion providers and clinics in the 90s

that included attacks by a mysterious gunman.

But before we do that, a little bit of background.

...