UPDATE | Dec. 2, 2025 — Robert Dear died of congestive heart failure, fluid overload and hypoxemia, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
...
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The man who was charged with killing three people and wounding several others at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs in 2015, but has been repeatedly found incompetent, has died in federal custody.
According to Federal Bureau of Prisons, Robert L. Dear died on Nov. 22, 2025 at U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners Springfield in Missouri. In a statement, a spokesperson said Dear's death appears to be related to natural causes at this time.
Dear, 67, never faced a jury in connection with the shooting because doctors always found him incompetent to stand trial. He was previously diagnosed with a delusional disorder. His case had been in limbo since his arrest.
His death comes during the same week that marks 10 years since the mass shooting.
Watch Denver7's report on Robert Dear's death in the video below.
This case began on Nov. 27, 2015.
That day, Dear, then-57 years old, went to the Planned Parenthood-Rocky Mountains clinic, on the north side of Colorado Springs, because it offered abortion services and he wanted to wage “war,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He brought four rifles, five handguns, two additional rifles, a shotgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, plus propane tanks, the department reported, and initially shot at people parked next to his car, killing one of them and seriously injuring the other two. The DOJ said he then shot at three other people who were in front of the clinic, killing one of them.
Dear is accused of then forcing his way into the clinic, which at that point, held 27 people inside, including healthcare providers, patients and companions.
A five-hour standoff followed.
He "repeatedly" shot at first responders, and killed University of Colorado Colorado Springs Police Officer Garrett Swasey, the department said. He is also accused of shooting at a propane tank he had placed in the parking lot in an attempt to make it explode.
By the time he was taken into custody, he had killed three people and wounded at least eight, including four police officers, the DOJ said.
The 4th Judicial District said nine people were injured that day, including five officers.
The victims were later identified as Ke'Arre M. Stewart, 29, Jennifer Markovsky, 36, and UCCS Police Officer Garrett Swasey, 44. Stewart and Markovsky were accompanying their friends to the clinic, the AP reported.
By the time Dear was arrested, he had fired 198 bullets, the DOJ reported.
A few days after, he was charged with 179 felony counts in state court. During the hearing, he had several outbursts in which he said, “I’m guilty. There’s no trial” and “I’m a warrior for the babies.”
Following court-ordered mental competency evaluations, Dear was found not competent to proceed the following May. A judge ordered him to be confined at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo, where he has remained ever since.
He has been periodically examined since then, but was never deemed competent for trial.
In December 2019, federal charges were filed against Dear. A federal grand jury issued a 68-count indictment against him, which included 65 counts violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and three counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death where the killing is a murder.
One year later, the DOJ ruled that Dear would not face the death penalty.
There appeared to be some hope in restoring him in August 2022, when, during a three-day hearing in district court, experts in psychiatry who had worked with Dear were called by the prosecution and testified that they believed there was a 70% chance that antipsychotics would restore him to competency. Experts called by the defense testified that antipsychotics were unlikely to render him competent.
Denver7 Investigates
Planned Parenthood shooting case highlights complexity of competency laws
The following month, a judge ruled that Dear could be involuntarily medicated after he repeatedly refused to take antipsychotics. This was appealed, with Dear's lawyers saying the side effects could worsen Dear's health issues, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruled he could indeed be involuntarily medicated in June 2024.
According to our news partners at The Denver Post, in September 2025, a judge found that because Dear was still found mentally incompetent at that time, it was unlikely that additional treatment would improve his condition.
The Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office sent Denver7 a statement about Dear's death on Tuesday, which said the office will begin the process of dismissing Dear's case. The statement read:
"UCCS Police Officer Garrett Swasey ran towards danger, in service to his community, and he was tragically killed in the line of duty. His heroic response to deadly violence will not soon be forgotten and his selfless sacrifice will be remembered forever. The lives of Ke'Arre M. Stewart and Jennifer Markovsky were also tragically taken by the defendant. All three victims, and this community, deserved the full measure of justice in this case but they are now denied that possibility. Their family members and loved ones have endured this horror for far too long. The same is true for the five additional Colorado Springs Police Officers and the four civilians who were injured during this evil attack."
Ozy Licano, who survived the shooting, learned about Dear's death on Tuesday, along with everybody else. Denver7's news partner in Colorado Springs, KOAA, interviewed him to hear about his reaction to the news.
"Wow, I'm — I don't know — relieved, I guess," he said.
Licano said people talk about forgiveness, but Dear does not deserve that.
"Why does he deserve forgiveness? I mean, I can forgive, but I'm never gonna forget," he said. "I mean, why does he get to decide what he did that day and justify it the way he did?... I just didn't like the idea that he could breathe while he decided others couldn't, you know? I mean, why does he get that opportunity to decide who lives and dies on that day? Why? How does he justify that?"
Dan May was the District Attorney when the shooting occurred.
"It was just a horrible tragedy to begin with," May said. "As the case went on, it became very frustrating... For the entire time I was on the case, he always wanted to just come in and plead guilty.”
May was shocked to hear Dear died this week — the same week, that marks 10 years since the mass shooting.
"I really feel that the victims missed out on closure," May said.
"The only consoling thing I could say is that if he had pled guilty that first day, he would have gone to prison, and he would have been behind bars for the rest of his life. He's been behind bars for the rest of his life since that day one. So, at least that punishment has always been there.”
In a statement obtained by Denver7 Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM) said they were aware of Dear's death, and said their focus was on honoring the people impacted by the shooting.
“As we reflect on the 10 years since the Colorado Springs tragedy, we honor and remember those whose lives were lost, as well as the strength and resilience of our staff — current and former —our patients, volunteers, and the Colorado Springs community," the PPRM spokesperson said. "At Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing accessible, nonjudgmental, high-quality healthcare to all who walk through our doors. As we approach this day of remembrance, we are prioritizing our staff's well-being while continuing to meet the needs of our patients and community.”
The office of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also issued a statement about the death.
“This was a horrible and tragic shooting that caused immeasurable pain and suffering," the statement reads. "Governor Polis’s thoughts and prayers are with the families of those taken in this tragic attack, who are surely dealing with the difficult memories from 10 years ago. No one in Colorado should be scared of senseless gun violence while going to school, worshiping, shopping for groceries, or getting the health care you need. He hopes that the passing of Robert Dear can be a form of closure for those in pain who lost loved ones.”
This is a developing and breaking story and will be updated.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
