The fire that destroyed a Knoxville Planned Parenthood clinic on New Year’s Eve was ruled as “intentionally set” by the Knoxville Fire Department yesterday. According to the department, they were assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in conducting their investigation and have “determined the fire to have been purposely set by an individual or individuals who, at this time, remain unidentified.”
The health center was undergoing a nearly-complete renovation and expansion at the time of the fire and was deemed a complete loss. “Our priority is to establish a safe operating site and reconvene services for our patients as soon as we possibly can. Although it will take time to rebuild, we are committed to our patients in East Tennessee and will not let this attack take away the essential health care services on which they rely, ” said Ashley Coffield, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee & North Mississippi.
The clinic also experienced an attack on January 22, 2021 (the anniversary of Roe v. Wade), when, according to Planned Parenthood of Tennessee & North Mississippi, “an unidentified gunman fired a shotgun through the front doors of the health center.”
