Shortly after it became apparent that the Supreme Court was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, a wave of violence engulfed pro-life organizations and churches, carried out by activists who wished to see abortion retain the legal status of a constitutional right. Buildings were targeted with vandalism and public threats were made against those who do not support abortion on demand. Now, an elderly woman in Michigan has reportedly been shot while handing out literature related to an abortion measure. Is this a one-off incident or the beginning of an escalation?

Woman Shot While Handing Out Pro-Life Pamphlets

A pro-life organization called Right to Life of Michigan issued a press release Sept. 24 stating that one of its volunteers was shot while canvassing a neighborhood to discuss the state’s Proposal 3, which aims to protect abortion access. On its website, the group explained:

“The 84-year-old victim said that she was shot in the back/shoulder while leaving a residence during a heated conversation, and that the man who shot her was not a part of her conversation. The victim does not know the identity or motive of her shooter. The victim is still recovering from her gunshot wound and wishes to remain anonymous while the criminal investigation proceeds.”

Michigan State Police told Fox News the assailant shot the woman after a “verbal altercation while she was passing out pamphlets.” The man believed to be the shooter was not involved in the argument. Upon sustaining her injury, the woman drove herself to the police department, and she was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Is Pro-Abortion Violence Increasing?

For the most part, pro-abortion violence surrounding the recent SCOTUS ruling has been limited to attacks on buildings and facilities. The latest incident marks the first known personal assault since the overturning of Roe. However, radical left-wing groups have threatened to escalate the violence. An organization called Jane’s Revenge, which has claimed credit for multiple acts of vandalism, scrawled a message in graffiti on a Wisconsin Family Action center that read: “If abortions aren’t safe, you’re not either.” Members of the group also posted threatening messages online.

As of this writing, not a single person has been arrested for the recent assaults against pro-life organizations, despite the FBI’s promise that it has been investigating these crimes. Earlier in September, the Bureau released a statement claiming it is still looking into the “series of attacks and threats targeting pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country, as well as to judicial buildings, including the US Supreme Court.”

The agency told Fox News in an email that these “incidents are being investigated as potential acts of domestic violent extremism, FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Acts violations or violent crime matters, depending on the facts of each case.”

(Photo by Hannah Beier/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the Bureau seemed to have no problem sending a swarm of agents to the home of Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck over an altercation that occurred last year with a volunteer patient escort outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia. The two men became embroiled in a verbal confrontation that escalated into a shoving match.

The alleged victim sued Houck for damages, but a district court tossed out his case. Nevertheless, Attorney General Merrick Garland decided to bring criminal charges against the activist and have him arrested in front of his children.

The shooting in Michigan could easily be an isolated incident, but in light of reports about the FBI’s apparent lack of interest in pro-abortion violence, the situation may be poised to worsen. If these violent activists observe that the Bureau is not pursuing such cases in a serious way, what will prevent them from targeting people instead of limiting their attacks to brick and mortar?