Waianae native was among victims of Planned Parenthood rampage

A Waianae native who was shot and killed at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado was remembered by friends and family members Sunday as a caring woman with an infectious sense of humor.

Jennifer Markovsky, 35, “loved to make jokes,” recalled her former neighbor Joey Bautista.

Markovsky’s father, John Ah-King, confirmed her death on his Facebook page.

“To my daughter Jennifer I’m going to miss so much,” he wrote. “Life was too short my beloved daughter.”

Markovsky was one of three people killed Friday in a shooting rampage. Ah-King said she was accompanying a friend to the clinic when she was killed.

Baustista recalled growing up with Markovsky, who was about 10 years her junior, and described her as outgoing and polite.

The shooting left Bautista in disbelief.

“You’re not expecting go mainland and all of a sudden for get shot, more worse at one clinic,” she said. “It’s a waste. You’re not expecting for go with a friend, for support a friend, then all of a sudden for some lolo go and shoot you just because they no believe in abortion.”

Bautista’s daughter, Brandy, said Markovsky was always willing to help others and would share food with her neighbors.

“She was a good mom,” she said. “She always put the kids first.”

The Bautistas said Markovsky left the island about seven years ago to attend college on the mainland, but they saw her when she visited and she appeared to be doing well.

Joey Baustista said she saw Markovsky’s father and grandmother, who live next door, leave with luggage after the shooting, and she believes they left for the mainland.

A woman at Markovsky’s father’s home said she was Markovsky’s sister and that the family was still trying to get over the shock of the incident.

Markovsky attended Waianae High School, graduating in 1997, according to her Facebook page, and was once a stock worker at Tamura Super Market. She also worked for Kmart for 13 years.

Her mother works as a clerk at Tamura’s, and her older sister works in the store’s deli, a supervisor said. He said Markovsky’s mother is flying to the mainland today.

Markovsky’s husband, Paul, began working for Lockheed Martin after leaving the Army in 2008, according to his LinkedIn page.

The Markovskys had two children, a boy and a girl. On Facebook, Markovsky beamed over how her son had won gold and silver medals in running competitions at the Special Olympics.

Meanwhile the suspected gunman, Robert Lewis Dear, told authorities “no more baby parts” after being arrested for the shooting at the Colorado Springs clinic, according to a law enforcement official. The comment was part of a rambling statement that investigators are parsing to understand the reasoning behind the assault.

Colorado Springs police Sunday said they would not disclose any information on the motive, a move that guarantees further speculation over the intention of Dear, whom acquaintances described as an odd, reclusive loner, as he prepares for his initial appearance in state court today.

Planned Parenthood cited witnesses as saying the gunman was motivated by his opposition to abortion.

In addition to Markovsky, Dear is accused of killing a police officer, Garrett Swasey, 44, and Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, an Iraq War veteran and father of two.

The law enforcement official who recounted Dear’s statement spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not allowed to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation. The official said the “no more baby parts” comment was among a number of statements he made to authorities after his arrest, making it difficult to know his specific motivation.

The attack thrust the clinic to the center of the debate over Planned Parenthood, which was reignited in July when anti-abortion activists released undercover video they said showed the group’s personnel negotiating the sale of fetal organs.

Planned Parenthood has denied seeking any payments beyond legally permitted reimbursement costs for donating the organs to researchers. Still, the National Abortion Federation says it has since seen a rise in threats at clinics nationwide.

Vicki Cowart, regional head of Planned Parenthood, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the organization has faced hateful speech.

“I can’t believe that this isn’t contributing to some folks, mentally unwell or not, thinking that it’s OK to — to target Planned Parenthood or to target abortion providers,” she said.

Anti-abortion activists, part of a group called the Center for Medical Progress, denounced the “barbaric killing spree in Colorado Springs by a violent madman” and offered prayers for the dead and wounded and for their families.

Cowart said the gunman “broke in” to the clinic Friday but didn’t get past a locked door leading to the main part of the facility. She said there was no armed security when the shooting began.

The gunman later surrendered to police after an hourslong standoff.

Nine other people were hospitalized, including five officers. Cowart said all 15 clinic employees survived and worked hard to make sure everyone else got into safe spaces and stayed quiet.

———

The Associated Press contributed to this report.