The man accused of the 2015 deadly attack at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado has passed away while in federal custody, as confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Robert Dear, aged 67, succumbed to natural causes at a federal medical facility for prisoners located in Springfield, Missouri, on Saturday, the Bureau reported to The Associated Press.

In 2019, Dear faced federal charges but became embroiled in legal proceedings regarding his mental health treatment. There was a contentious debate over whether he could be forcibly medicated for his delusional disorder. His ongoing mental incompetency rulings consistently delayed the legal process related to the Colorado Springs incident.

According to the Justice Department’s 2019 statement, on November 27, 2015, Dear arrived at the Planned Parenthood clinic with the intent to carry out a violent attack because the facility provided abortion services. He was armed with an alarming arsenal: four SKS rifles, five handguns, two additional rifles, a shotgun, over 500 rounds of ammunition, and propane tanks.

Robert Dear was pictured addressing Judge Gilbert Martinez during a court session on December 9, 2015, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo credit: Andy Cross-Pool/Getty Images)

“Dear first shot at people parked next to his truck, killing one and seriously injuring the other two. He then repeatedly shot at three additional people who were in various locations in front of the clinic, killing one and injuring another. 

“After forcing his way into the clinic, Dear engaged in an approximately five-hour standoff with officials from several law enforcement and public safety agencies, including the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), University of Colorado — Colorado Springs Campus Police (UCCS), and the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Dear repeatedly shot at the firefighters and law enforcement officers, killing one officer and injuring four more,” the Justice Department also said. 

Authorities investigate a shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic Nov. 28, 2015.  (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, an Army veteran who served in Iraq and a father of two, and Jennifer Markovsky, 36, a mother of two who grew up in Oahu, Hawaii, were accompanying friends to the clinic before they were killed. Garrett Swasey, a campus police officer at a college nearby, responded after hearing of an active shooter and was also killed. Nine others were injured. 

Dear was most recently civilly committed with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael J. Allen, whose office tried to prosecute Dear in state court.

Robert Dear, accused of shooting three people to death and wounding nine others at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, attends a hearing at an El Paso County court in Colorado Springs, Colo., Dec. 9, 2015.  (Andy Cross/Reuters)

“All three victims, and this community, deserved the full measure of justice in this case, but they are now denied that possibility,” Allen was quoted by the AP as saying.