Sixty-seven year-old George Tiller was killed just after 1000 (1500 GMT) at the Reformation Lutheran Church. Police say the attacker, a white man, then fled in a car. Local media report that a suspect is now in custody.
Dr Tiller, one of the few US doctors who performed so-called late-term abortions, had been vilified by some anti-abortionists. His clinic had often been the site of demonstrations, and he was shot and wounded by an assailant 16 years ago. Dr Tiller's lawyer, Dan Monnat, said he was gunned down as he served as an usher during a morning service.
George Tiller had survived an attempt on his life 16 years ago.
The shooting comes two weeks after President Barack Obama made a major speech on abortion at one of the main Catholic universities in the US. Correspondents say the president is attempting to defuse the abortion issue - a highly emotive subject in US public life - by arguing that while it should remain legal, the government should do all it can to limit the number of unwanted pregnancies. But members of the anti-abortion movement have been angered by the president's reversal of restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and for family-planning groups which carry out or facilitate abortions outside the US.
Dr Tiller's killing, however, was swiftly denounced by anti-abortionists. "We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning," anti-abortion group Operation Rescue said on its website.
A late-term abortion is the termination of a foetus beyond the 20th week of gestation, when it is potentially old enough to survive outside the womb. "
"PRO-LIFE" MY FUCKING ASS. I want to break stuff right now.
Aside from looking like a Conehead, my main concern lies here: You're getting snuggly with your lady, maybe kissing a little here and there. You look into her eyes, lost in how beautiful they are, thinking about what a perfect creature you have sitting in front of you. You reach up to run your hand through her silky hair, when all of a sudden AUUUGHHHHHHH! You ripped your hand open on a medieval torture device!!! Flesh is hanging from your bones, blood is gushing onto your ladyfriend's hair, and she says "Oh that? That's just my Bumpit, silly!"
I don't know about you guys, but I think the Bride of Frank look is pretty demure and sexy:
If anyone has ever tried one of these... I'm sure you must have horror/comedy stories. Do tell.
"I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn't know this either, but love don't make things nice - it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren't here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die. The storybooks are bullshit." (from "Moonstruck")