PEORIA, Ill. — More than a year after it was damaged in a firebombing attack, the Peoria Planned Parenthood clinic has reopened.
On Tuesday, June 18, Planned Parenthood held a ceremony marking the occasion. According to Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL), it cost more than $1 million to rebuild after the fire. According to PPIL officials, their clinics have seen a 47% increase in abortion care patients since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
“We are back and stronger than ever," PPIL President Jennifer Welch said. "We know the vital role the Peoria Health Center plays in the central Illinois community. The arsonist may have destroyed our health center and robbed the community from accessing care, but we were also brought closer together."
Tyler Massengill pled guilty to the attack in February 2023 and is serving up to 10 years in prison for using a homemade incendiary device to start the fire in January 2023.
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