North Carolinians respond to Planned Parenthood shooting

Elaina Athans Image
Sunday, November 29, 2015
People in NC respond to shooting at Planned Parenthood
Dear's home in Black Mountain

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Some of Robert Lewis Dear's former neighbors in North Carolina are offering disturbing new insight into the suspected shooter. They say Dear would rarely speak with them and could be erratic.

A half a mile up a curvy dirt road, about 15 miles east of Asheville, is the cabin Dear once called home.

It's a small yellow wooden hut. There's no indoor plumbing or electric. A "no trespassing" sign is posted by the front door.

Neighbors describe Dear as a loner and say he would avoid eye contact with people.

"Basically he just came here and stayed pretty much to himself," said former neighbor Robert Adams. "His pretty much only interaction with people was Buncombe County Animal Control. He had problems with his dogs running lose, getting into trouble."

Neighbors say one of Dear's dogs was in such bad physical shape, they called Animal Control because they worried he was abusing the dog.

Those who knew Dear say he seemed to have few religious or political leanings.

LOCAL PLANNED PARENTHOODS OFFER SUPPORT

Some local Planned Parenthood clinics are offering support to the Colorado victims. The nonprofit posted pictures on its Facebook page, expressing their condolences.

Staff from Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, and Fayetteville held signs and stood in solidarity. The clinics are closed for the weekend but will reopen on Monday.

A few police departments have increased patrols outside of local clinics and said they have taken appropriate steps when warranted.

Report a Typo