A gunman who spent years in court battles over custody disputes opened fire in the lobby of a Delaware courthouse recently, leaving two women dead before being fatally shot, authorities said. "He walked right up to the first victim and shot her point-blank right in the chest. He then turned around and shot a second woman who was approximately ten feet away," said Bill Heriot, who said he was waiting to enter the New Castle County Courthouse. He said the heavyset man, who appeared to be in his fifties, pulled out a semiautomatic pistol and fired a single shot at each victim. Heriot said the shooter then exchanged gunfire with police before falling.
Delaware State Police Sergeant Paul Shavack (photo, at right) said the gunman and the women are dead. Mayor Dennis Williams said in a phone interview that one of the women killed was the shooter's estranged wife, but Shavack said police had not confirmed that.
Shavack also declined to confirm Heriot's account of the shooting, or disclose who shot whom, saying investigators were still reviewing surveillance video and taking witness statements. Authorities said that autopsies had been completed on the two female victims, but they were withholding their names while family members were notified. However, 6ABC identified the intended target as Christine Belford.
Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (photo, at left) said at a news conference that the shooting was not a random act of violence. "It's developed, over the course of many years, in custody dispute in the courts of this state," Biden said.
Authorities said two police officers were also shot, but were treated at a hospital and released. Chief William Jopp of the Capitol Police, which provides security at state government buildings, said they were protected by their armored vests.
Authorities said the gunman opened fire in courthouse lobby, where people line up to go through metal detectors. "He did not break the security perimeter," Shavack said.
After the shooting, police searched the courthouse room by room as a precaution. Streets around the courthouse remained cordoned off. Officials said the courthouse would remain closed while repairs were made and authorities continued their investigation.
Rico says he can only shake his head; nothing was worth this...
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