Shooting At Milan Courthouse Leaves 2 Dead

Two people were killed in a shooting at a court in Milan on Thursday, according to media reports. Italian police say they have apprehended an alleged suspect, who is said to have been a defendant in a bankruptcy case.

The “presumed assassin” was named by local media as Claudio Giardiello, BBC reported. The men he allegedly killed were bankruptcy court judge Fernando Ciampi and attorney Lorenzo Appiani. There are also two others who were injured, including one who has been hospitalized in a critical condition.

Giardiello reportedly opened fire inside the courthouse on Thursday morning, sparking a panic as hundreds of people raced to evacuate the building while police arrived at the scene. It is unknown how he managed to sneak a gun past the courthouse’s metal detectors.

"All of a sudden we heard at least three or four shots," lawyer Marcello Ilia told Agence France-Presse outside the building. "We tried to find out what was going on. There were suddenly lots of police officers who told us not to leave the room, they shut us in.

"After a few minutes we came out. They told us someone in a suit and tie was armed and at large in the court."

The attacker reportedly fled the scene on a scooter, but was later detained in the city of Vimercate, north of Milan. The Palace of Justice is located in the heart of Milan, near the city’s main cathedral and shopping district.