A man on trial for fraudulent bankruptcy has opened fire in Milan’s courthouse, killing his lawyer, a co-defendant and a judge before being captured nearly 25 kilometres away as he fled on a motorbike, officials have said.
As the shots rang out in the tribunal, court employees barricaded themselves inside their offices and took cover under their desks while police hunted for the gunman, identified as Claudio Giardiello, who moved unimpeded from one floor to the next.
“There was a lot of panic at the beginning when people came running toward us saying there was a person with a pistol who had been shooting,” said lawyer Mirko Ricetti, who said he locked himself in a first-floor court room after hearing a shot.
Employees and lawyers were eventually allowed to trickle out of the tribunal, women first, followed by the men who had their court ID cards checked.
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the suspect was caught by carabinieri police in Vimercate, near Monza, indicating he had traveled some 25 kilometres from the scene before being captured. An ambulance with escort was seen leaving the Vimercate police station, but it was not immediately clear if the gunman was inside.
Prosecutor Edmondo Bruti Liberati said the gunman first fired on his lawyer and co-defendant, killing both and seriously injuring a second co-defendant.
Afterwards, he “walked through the building, going down a floor, and killed the judge, Bruti Liberati told The Associated Press news agency.
He said it was not clear whether there was any relationship between the gunman and the judge.
He identified the slain judge as Fernando Ciampi, who worked in the civil section of bankruptcy court.
Bruti Liberati said the gunman was on trial with two others for fraudulent bankruptcy.
Giardiello’s former attorney, Valerio Maraniello, told RAI state TV the case concerned a failed real estate business and that Giardiello was “very unusual” and “over the top” in his legal dealings.
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