A man in Huntsville, Alabama, has been arrested and charged in the death of a preborn baby after he allegedly shot a pregnant woman.
On October 19, officers found a 24-year-old woman with a gunshot wound, and 27-year-old Dequerius Amar Clayborn with a gun. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment while police detained Clayborn. An investigation found that he had likely mishandled the gun and accidentally shot the woman, who was pregnant. The shooting caused the death of her preborn baby, but the woman is in stable condition.
Clayborn is being held without bond on charges of reckless murder, aggravated assault, and driving without a license.
In Alabama, induced abortion is a felony offense with an exception for abortions carried out to save the life of the mother (Although induced abortion, which carries the intent of ensuring the death of the preborn child, is not medically necessary). The Alabama Human Life Protection Act was signed into law in 2019 by Gov. Kay Ivey.
In addition, the state’s criminal code states that a “person commits criminal homicide if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence causes the death of another person.” It defines “person” as “when referring to the victim of a criminal homicide or assault, means a human being, including an unborn child in utero at any stage of development, regardless of viability.” That does not apply if the preborn child dies after receiving medical care from a doctor.
Further, Alabama made headlines earlier this year when the state Supreme Court ruled that human embryos created via in vitro fertilization (IVF) are to be considered children under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. The decision was a win for parents who lost their embryos when a person gained access to the embryo storage and dropped them, killing them.
However, pro-abortion politicians and media attacked the ruling, claiming it was an attempt to shut down IVF clinics and outlaw IVF.
In Alabama, reckless murder is a Class A felony, and if convicted, Clayborn faces a sentence of 10 years to life.
