Fire at Colorado pregnancy center being investigated as arson in wake of Roe v. Wade reversal

LONGMONT, Colo. (KKTV) - A fire at a Colorado pregnancy center is being investigated as possible arson in the wake of the controversial Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

Tensions have remained high across the nation as generations who have never known a country without abortion rights grapple with the reversal of a nearly 50-year-old decision. Protests have broken out across the U.S., and law enforcement in Longmont say the fire and vandalism at Life Choices may very well have been the handiwork of someone angered over the ruling.

The Longmont Public Safety Department says they were called to the crisis pregnancy center just after 3 a.m. Saturday.

“The building sustained fire and heavy smoke damage. At the arrival of police and fire staff, the front of the property had been vandalized with black paint,” the department said.

Graffiti on one of the walls offered a threat, “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”

Officials are asking businesses and/or anyone living between Collyer and Lashley and 15th Avenue and 11th Avenue to check their surveillance videos for any activity between 2:45 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Anyone with information that can help identify the suspect(s) responsible are encouraged to call 303-774-3700 and reference case number 22-5219.

“From either side, I hate to see vandalism like this,” neighbor Cynthia Campbell told 11 News sister station CBS Denver. “This organization has been open several decades now, and I don’t think they have a huge budget. ... I’m just sorry that they’ve been vandalized like this.”

The FBI is assisting with the investigation.

The nullification of Roe v. Wade effectively outlaws abortion across half the U.S., but in Colorado, access to the procedure remains unchanged. The state passed a bill earlier this year ensuring abortion stayed legal at all stages of pregnancy regardless of the Dobbs decision, and Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law in April.

With abortion banned in all but two of Colorado’s neighbors -- New Mexico and Kansas being the lone exceptions for now, with a vote looming in Kansas that could end access there -- the state has been bracing for an influx of out-of-state patients seeking the procedure.

The states in red are likely or certain to ban abortion now that the protected right to the... — The states in red are likely or certain to ban abortion now that the protected right to the procedure has been overturned.(KKTV)

Life Choices is a non-profit that has been in Longmont since 1984. It says its mission is to offer free services related to pregnancy and sexual health, and encourage people to seek other options besides abortion.