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Courthouse Shooting Leaves 3 People Dead, Injures Law Enforcement Officer

CREDIT: DYLAN PETROHILOS
CREDIT: DYLAN PETROHILOS

At least two courthouse bailiffs and a jail inmate are dead after a shooting took place at a courthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan, according to eyewitness accounts and a local CBS news affiliate WWMT reporter. A law enforcement sheriff’s deputy was also likely injured. The shooting, which took place at the Berrien County Courthouse was brought under control in roughly 30 minutes.

Initial reports indicated that one officer was shot in the arm and finger, but he is in stable condition. According to local ABC news affiliate WZZM reporter David Bailey and ABC 57 reporter Brian Dorman, an inmate who was on his way to jail took a gun from a deputy and opened fire. A courthouse employee who spoke with WZZM said that “two of the people dead are court bailiffs. The other person dead is the shooter,” though state police have yet to confirm the information. A man who identified himself as a courier believed that the shooting took place on the third floor of the courthouse. The courthouse was under lockdown and employees were being kept in their offices. Several other people were also shot and are in stable condition, ABC 57 reported.

Moments after the shooting took place, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) tweeted that the scene had been “secured.”

Chris Gautz, the public information officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections tweeted, “All MDOC probation staff are safe and accounted for. Prayers for those shot today and those still inside.”

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The courthouse shooting follows a spate of police shootings and protests in the country. On Saturday, Alva Braziel was shot and killed by police in Texas despite video footage showing he had his hands in the air. On Thursday, several police officers were killed in Dallas, Texas during a Black Lives Matter protest. A black man, unaffiliated with the movement, opened fire on the crowd, fatally killing five police officers. The protest had been in response to two incidents where police used excessive force on black civilians, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, which resulted in their deaths.

This is a developing story that will continuously be updated.