Atlanta courthouse shooting kills 3

Atlanta courthouse shooting kills 3
Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:16 PM GMT

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Brian Nichols
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By Karen Jacobs

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A man on trial for rape has grabbed a deputy's gun and opened fire in an Atlanta courthouse, killing a judge and two other people before fleeing, authorities say.

Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes and an unidentified court reporter died from gunshot wounds, Georgia Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor said shortly after the 9 a.m./2 p.m. British time shooting at Fulton County Courthouse on Friday.

A sheriff's deputy also was killed and another wounded, Atlanta Police spokesman John Quigley said. The deputy who lost her gun was shot but expected to survive, he said.

The suspect, identified by police as Brian Nichols, 33, escaped the court and then carjacked at least one vehicle, shooting at a sheriff's deputy outside, witnesses and police said.

Across Georgia, electronic highway messages were being posted with information on the vehicle Nichols was believed to have taken. About 30 schools in Atlanta were locked down while authorities searched for the suspect.

The shooting occurred less than two weeks after the husband and mother of a federal judge in Chicago were shot to death.

Renee Rockwell, a defence lawyer, said she saw deputies running with their guns drawn as she walked into the courthouse in downtown Atlanta. "They said 'the defendant got the deputy's gun and shot the judge,'" Rockwell said.

Nichols was on trial before Barnes for rape, assault, kidnapping and several other felonies. One deputy may have been shot outside the courthouse while trying to apprehend Nichols, who also pistol-whipped a journalist during his escape.

"Outside, there was a deputy down. Apparently he ran after the defendant and was trying to get him," Rockwell said.

Police said they did not know what had provoked the shooting.

Nichols was being retried on rape, kidnapping and other charges after a hung jury last week. A juror described his behaviour in the courtroom as intense.

"Every time any of us looked up we saw him looking for our reaction, which had made us a little nervous," juror James Bailey told CNN.

Police in Chicago said on Friday a review of evidence has proven that a man who committed suicide was the one who killed the husband and mother of a federal judge there following a lengthy medical malpractice legal battle, and that he acted alone.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.

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Sheriff's official tells how shootings happened
Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription), GA - 5 minutes ago
Mike Thompson described Friday afternoon how shooting suspect Brian Nichols was able to obtain the gun he used to shoot and kill three people this morning at ...

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