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   3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting

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Topic: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting (Read 208 times)

lakelady
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3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« on: Mar 11^th, 2005, 11:05am »

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3 killed in courthouse shooting
Judge, court reporter, deputy dead; defendant sought
Friday, March 11, 2005 Posted: 12:02 PM EST (1702 GMT)

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A Fulton County Superior Court judge, a sheriff's deputy and a court reporter were killed and another deputy was wounded Friday when a defendant grabbed a gun from a deputy sheriff and opened fire at the downtown Atlanta courthouse, officials said.

The first shootings occurred about 9 a.m. in Judge Rowland W. Barnes' eighth-floor courtroom. Barnes was dead at the scene, Judge Gary Spencer told CNN Radio. A court reporter was also killed and a deputy wounded.

Witnesses reported more gunfire outside the courthouse. One witness told CNN that another sheriff's deputy was seen lying on the ground outside the Atlanta courthouse.

Renee Rockwell, a defense attorney, said she was on her way to the courtroom immediately following the shooting, when a deputy grabbed her and pulled her into an elevator. "While we were in the elevator, one of the female deputies started crying and said, 'The defendant took the deputy's gun and held the courtroom hostage and shot the judge.' "

All four victims were transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, said Sgt. Clarence Huber of the Fulton County Sheriff's Department.

A search for the suspect, identified by police as Brian Nichols, 34, was under way.

"We do have a search for the suspect ... and the suspect is at large right now," Huber said.

Nichols is suspected of having attempted to carjack up to five vehicles to make an escape.

Warning signs on Atlanta freeways told motorists to be on the look out for a green Honda Accord with Georgia license plates 6584YN.

Nichols was reportedly facing a retrial for rape and kidnapping in Barnes' courtroom, after a first trial resulted in a hung jury. He is described as being an African-American male, 34 years old, about 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighing 210 pounds.

Barnes was "extremely highly thought of in the legal community," attorney B.J. Bernstein told CNN. The judge presided over both civil and criminal cases.

"The only thing I can imagine is that someone would have had to have moved very quickly and suddenly to catch one of the deputies off guard in order to remove his weapon," she said.

Some said the shooting was predictable given the security lapses at the courthouse.

"The security in the Fulton County Courthouse, the way they deal with prisoners, is absolutely atrocious," attorney Dennis Scheib told CNN. "I said this was going to happen."

Vickie Warner, a courthouse employee, said she heard "three or four shots and we looked out ... and we saw this guy running across the street, with a gun in his hand, into the underground parking deck."

A reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was pistol-whipped and carjacked in his parking garage.

Don O'Briant said a man pulled up in a dark SUV and asked him for directions. When he began giving them, the man pulled a gun and demanded his keys, according to a report on the newspaper's Web site.

O'Briant handed the keys over, but refused the man's order to get in the trunk of his green Honda Accord. The man then threatened to kill him, O'Briant said, and struck him over his left eye with either the butt of his gun or his fist. O'Briant was able to get away, but fell and was injured in the process, according to the report.

Another witness told CNN the suspect took his tow truck at gunpoint outside the courthouse and fled the scene.

The gunman "told me to get out of the truck. I told him he can have the truck. And I walked away," Deronte Franklin said.

Police also were reportedly searching for an Izuzu Trooper, but Atlanta police said they understood the last car taken was the Honda.

Local, state and federal agents were processing the multiple crime scenes, and many downtown streets were blocked off. Gurneys were carried into the courthouse, but had not been carried back out. The courthouse remained on lockdown.

More than 30 schools around Atlanta also were locked down as the search for the subject continued, Atlanta Public Schools spokesman Joe Manguno said.

James Bailey, who said he was a juror at Nichols' trial, said Nichols' courtroom behavior had made him nervous.

"Every time he looked up, he was staring at you," Bailey said.

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luci
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #1 on: Mar 11^th, 2005, 11:08am »

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This is scary, for too many Judges are being singled out!
What happened to medal detectors?

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AoM
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #2 on: Mar 11^th, 2005, 11:09am »

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That has to be incredibly frightening for them

hopefully he's out of ammo

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Pocket
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #3 on: Mar 11^th, 2005, 5:07pm »

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This guy managed to get the deputy's gun. As far as I'm concerned all the criminal defendents can just wear shackles from now on. This sickens me.

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Colleen
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #4 on: Mar 11^th, 2005, 7:07pm »

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Your right Pocket, defendents should be wearing shackles. But they dont have them wear them because it looks bad in front of a jury. WELL who cares, why should violent crimals have rights. Safety should come first. I cant belive this guy was able to just grab a gun and go on this sort of rampage, somethings has got to change. THis makes me so sick to the stomack.

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luci
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #5 on: Mar 12^th, 2005, 11:39am »

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He is still on the loose! LL, if you see a HOnda driving down your road, call 911.

One of his past crimes was abducting his former girlfriend and telling her he was going to stay at her house and rape her for the next three days until her birthday. What a sicko!

He should have been in shackles Undecided

:rifle:

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Colleen
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #6 on: Mar 12^th, 2005, 12:47pm »

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They caught him, thank goodness. Sounds like he killed someone eles tho. So sad. Been watching the news not to many details yet, they just keep recaping what they already know. Things should start coming to light soon.

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Pocket
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #7 on: Mar 12^th, 2005, 2:45pm »

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What kills me, is Nichols had shanks (homemade weapons) in his shoes the day before. No way should he have been unshackled. This man going berserk has devasted 4 families and impacted everyone around them. Thank goodness they have him in custody. I hope this will impact all courthouses around the country, and they start taking stronger precautions.

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luci
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #8 on: Mar 12^th, 2005, 10:45pm »

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What really boils my blood is that a woman deputy was escorting him.
Which proves my point that a woman CANNOT defend herself against a man.
Whether she is being abused or overtaken as a deputy, a man is built for strength in his upper body and we are not!

Now, if she were Janet Reno taking down Bill Clinton, that I would believe

P.S. daing this laptop with the keys too close together, typos constantly Roll Eyes

« Last Edit: Mar 12^th, 2005, 10:47pm by luci »

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Bumper
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #9 on: Mar 15^th, 2005, 3:23pm »

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The tragic situation in that Atlanta Courthouse says more about lax Security Procedures by Sheriff's Department personnel rather than any genetic difference between males and females. This suspect gave off so many warning signs of probable violence, a blind man could have seen it coming. The initial attack was even caught on the Courthouse Security Control camera, but no one was watching.

I found it ironic that there was increased security at checkpoints going INTO the Courthouse on Monday. That's not where the problem was. I think what is needed there is more a case of "Physicial heal thyself".

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Rhune
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #10 on: Mar 15^th, 2005, 10:10pm »

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Sadly, tonight they talked about this on the news and you could hear the legal terminoligy already. :shaking head: They commented "The man who *allegedly* made a violent and deadly breakout." Good lord...allegedly...I mean it's only on camera...

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luci
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #11 on: Mar 15^th, 2005, 10:12pm »

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At our County Couthouse, anyone can walk in and do whatever he/she wants.
There are no security cameras at all, no medal detectors either.
We are concerned about this, for innocent bystanders and also for a family member that is a Judge.

Don't you think that one by one all Courthouses will have medal detectors
and more security as time and county funds permit?

« Last Edit: Mar 15^th, 2005, 11:36pm by luci »

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Colleen
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Re: 3 killed in Atlanta courthouse shooting
« Reply #12 on: Mar 15^th, 2005, 10:58pm »

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There is no security at my courthouse either, sadly I think it will take something tragic for securtiy to happen if it even happens at all. A couthouse is full of ppl who have committed acts of crime not always violent but some ppl will do what ever it takes to be free as we have seen in Atlanta. I think a court house should be treated as a prison, check all ppl coming in and out, Im not sure on this, but in a male prison do female guards transport male prisoners? I would think not, not sure tho. I personally think it should be male to male and female to female. I just cant belive this story. How could it have happened.

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