(Newswire.net — July 12, 2016) —The latest in a series of shootings, took place Monday afternoon, when an inmate, who was on his way from the courthouse to jail, grabbed a gun off a deputy and opened fire, as he tried to flee.
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey confirmed during a press conference that the shooting occurred at 2:20pm local time. By 3pm the situation was under control. Two court bailiffs, as well as their attacker were killed and a deputy had been shot in the left arm and finger. Several civilians were also injured. All the victims were taken to the nearby Lakeland Regional Hospital.
The gunman identified by police as 45-year-old Larry Darnell Gordon, was being held in the county jail for several felony charges. Bailey said that they had no indications that he had been violent, and there were no warning signs of the attack about to follow.
The two bailiffs who were left dead in the wake of the attack have been identified as 61 year old Joseph Zangaro and 63 year old Ron Kienzle.
Sheriff Paul Bailey explained that brave officers took down the shooter, who was attempting to flee. According to witnesses and WSJM Radio Station, the incident took place outside Judge Charles LaSata’s courtroom at the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph.
Mark Locus, who witnessed the event, explained that he saw a man with handcuffs in green prison clothes. One of the sheriff’s bailiff took him into another hallway, and then he heard an altercation, and the sound of someone falling on the floor. A bailiff then entered the courtroom and he heard the shooting.
The courthouse has been evacuated and according to Berrien County police dispatch, there is heavy police presence at the courthouse. A three-block perimeter was set up around the courthouse.
The Chicago Tribune reported that this brings the number of law enforcement officers fatally shot by suspects while in the line of duty to 27, up from 16 a year ago, and slightly ahead of the average number at this point in the year (25) shown in FBI data over the last decade.