A gunman has killed four people, including a judge and a witness after going on a rampage at a Milan court where he was due to appear on Thursday accused of fraudulent bankruptcy.
The defendant, Claudio Giardiello, 46, is said to have first killed his lawyer Lorenzo Alberto Claris Appiani, 37, and his co-defendant before shooting dead judge Fernando Ciampi in an act of revenge “against those that ruined me.”
Prosecutors said the attack was carried out with “cold premeditation.”
According to MailOnline, a fourth victim, understood to have been a witness, had no visible injuries and is thought to have died of a heart attack.
Several other people suffered serious injuries in the attack, including Giardiello’s former colleagues and accountant.
After his killing spree, the gunman managed to evade police and fled the courthouse on his motorbike, reaching the town of Vimercate 15 miles from Milan before being arrested.
Giardiello likely used a false ID pass to enter the court through a side door reserved for judges and lawyers, who are not obliged to have their belongings scanned by a metal detector, Milan public prosecutor Edmondo Bruto Liberati said.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the attack “a moment of great pain, of sadness’ adding that it was ‘unthinkable someone should be able to enter a court with a weapon.”
He promised ‘the government will shed the utmost light on the event’ and described the police who had chased down and arrested the man as heroic.
The gunman’s attack began when he fired four or five rounds from multiple weapons at 11am.
Witnesses reported barricading themselves inside their offices and taking cover under their desks as police hunted for the gunman.
After texting loved ones that they were OK, 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.
Hundreds of people were eventually evacuated from the building as police hunted the gunman.
‘There was a lot of panic at the beginning when people came running towards 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 courtroom after hearing a shot.
Police said Giardiello fired 13 rounds in total, beginning his rampage by mortally wounding his co-accused, Giorgio Erba, and killing his lawyer Mr Appiani.
Another of his co-accused, Davide Limongelli, was injured in the gunfire.
The armed assailant then allegedly sought out judge Ciampi, shooting and wounding another man on the stairs on the way to the floor below.
He allegedly entered the judge’s private office, letting off two shots that killed him instantly.
Mr Bruti Liberati said it was not clear whether there was any relationship between the gunman and the judge.
A gunman has killed four people, including a judge and a witness after going on a rampage at a Milan court where he was due to appear on Thursday accused of fraudulent bankruptcy.
The defendant, Claudio Giardiello, 46, is said to have first killed his lawyer Lorenzo Alberto Claris Appiani, 37, and his co-defendant before shooting dead judge Fernando Ciampi in an act of revenge “against those that ruined me.”
Prosecutors said the attack was carried out with “cold premeditation.”
According to MailOnline, a fourth victim, understood to have been a witness, had no visible injuries and is thought to have died of a heart attack.
Several other people suffered serious injuries in the attack, including Giardiello’s former colleagues and accountant.
After his killing spree, the gunman managed to evade police and fled the courthouse on his motorbike, reaching the town of Vimercate 15 miles from Milan before being arrested.
Giardiello likely used a false ID pass to enter the court through a side door reserved for judges and lawyers, who are not obliged to have their belongings scanned by a metal detector, Milan public prosecutor Edmondo Bruto Liberati said.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the attack “a moment of great pain, of sadness’ adding that it was ‘unthinkable someone should be able to enter a court with a weapon.”
He promised ‘the government will shed the utmost light on the event’ and described the police who had chased down and arrested the man as heroic.
The gunman’s attack began when he fired four or five rounds from multiple weapons at 11am.
Witnesses reported barricading themselves inside their offices and taking cover under their desks as police hunted for the gunman.
After texting loved ones that they were OK, 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.
Hundreds of people were eventually evacuated from the building as police hunted the gunman.
‘There was a lot of panic at the beginning when people came running towards 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 courtroom after hearing a shot.
Police said Giardiello fired 13 rounds in total, beginning his rampage by mortally wounding his co-accused, Giorgio Erba, and killing his lawyer Mr Appiani.
Another of his co-accused, Davide Limongelli, was injured in the gunfire.
The armed assailant then allegedly sought out judge Ciampi, shooting and wounding another man on the stairs on the way to the floor below.
He allegedly entered the judge’s private office, letting off two shots that killed him instantly.
Mr Bruti Liberati said it was not clear whether there was any relationship between the gunman and the judge.
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