An Anaconda man has been charged with planning to kill an abortion provider in Missoula – and, according to court documents, he has also told officers he was the person who shot at the front door of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Helena in 2023.
Jonathon Ambarian reports - watch the video here:
According to the Montana Free Press, Charles Felix Jones, age 20, turned himself in to Anaconda police, saying he went to the abortion doctor’s home March 8 with a gun but left without firing. He has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of assault with a weapon, one felony charge of intimidation and one misdemeanor charge of trespassing.
Court documents say Jones went to Missoula March 8 for an anti-abortion rally, then went to the doctor’s home afterwards. Investigators say he entered the back yard and knocked on the window – alerting the residents – then dropped the gun. They say he turned to leave, came back and threw some other items at the door, then left for good, going back to Anaconda.
When the doctor’s spouse called 911 to report a man with a gun in their yard, officers responded. They say they found Jones’ wallet on the porch.
Jones turned himself in in Anaconda later that night, and Missoula police interviewed him the next day. According to court documents, he told officers he had planned to shoot the doctor because of his anger over abortion, but he changed his mind as he walked toward the house. Documents say he told investigators he had been inspired by attacks on abortion clinics and providers in the 1990s.
Documents say Jones also told officers he had shot at the Helena clinic. At that time, he was 17 and living in Manhattan. Investigators say he told them he took a shotgun and drove to Helena.
First Helena police and then the FBI sought the public’s help in identifying a suspect in the shooting, but there had been no updates on the case for a long time.
Additionally, court documents say Jones told officers he had thought about bombing a building in Whitefish in 2024 but didn’t go through with it.
A judge in Missoula County set Jones’ bail at $5 million, citing concerns for community safety.
In a statement, Planned Parenthood of Montana CEO Martha Fuller said the organization is working with law enforcement on a “security-related investigation.”
“The safety of our patients and staff remains our top priority,” she said. “Every Planned Parenthood of Montana health center is currently open and seeing patients in a safe environment. We are proud to provide the essential health care Montanans need, including abortion care – our commitment to serving patients is, and always will be, unwavering.”
