Maryland Pro-Lifers Assaulted, One Hospitalized With Serious Injuries

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BALTIMORE, Md. (ChurchMilitant.com) Two pro-lifers were assaulted and injured outside a Planned Parenthood facility in Baltimore on Friday. Mark Crosby, 73, suffered significant facial damage, while the other victim, Dick Schaefer, 80, sustained minor injuries.

Following the incident, Crosby, a member of Baltimore's Church Militant Resistance group, was promptly admitted to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Facility. Medical examinations revealed fractures in his right eye socket and the area below it. He has temporarily lost vision in that eye due to the injuries sustained.

"For years, Mark has prayed in front of the Planned Parenthood in Baltimore City to let the scared, young abortion-minded women know that they are loved, that their baby is loved," said Jay Walton, president of Baltimore County Right to Life.

"This was a vicious attack on two men because they are pro-life. This should be treated as a hate crime and denounced by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D), as well as Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D)," Walton noted in another statement. 

At the time of the incident, the victims were engaged in prayer and counseling activities alongside others outside the abortion facility. The suspect, described as "a white male with brown hair and a full beard, wearing a gray T-shirt, blue jeans and brown shoes," initiated the attack by violently shoving Schaefer into the wall of the Planned Parenthood facility. 

Crosby attempted to intervene and was himself pushed to the ground by the attacker who struck him in the face with his fists and then stomped on his face. The assailant then fled the scene.

A friend of the victims shared his thoughts with Church Militant, stating, "Mark is very positive and grateful for the opportunity to literally bleed for Christ." He further described Mark as a warrior.

In response to the incident and the medical expenses incurred, Walton initiated a fundraiser to assist in covering Crosby's medical costs.

Both victims are parishioners at Christ the King parish in Towson, Maryland. Their pastor, Fr. Ed Meeks, explained the incident to parishioners at Mass on Sunday.

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