Two baliffs have been shot dead and a police officer wounded inside a Michigan courthouse.
Berrien County Courthouse in Michigan Photo: Google Maps
"A person has shot two bailiffs, they are both deceased, and a deputy sheriff who is at the hospital right now being treated in the emergency room," Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said.
"The suspect has been shot and killed,"
The attack took place about 2.25pm local time at the Berrien County courthouse in St. Joseph in southwest Michigan on Monday, media reported.
The officer was shot in the arm and a finger, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey reportedly said.
He said the death of his friends was terrible.
Buildings in the area were put on lockdown after the shooting, according to media reports.
"MSP [Michigan State Police] has secured the scene at the Berrien County courthouse and started its investigation into the shooting that occurred this afternoon," Governor Rick Snyder said in a Tweet.
St Joseph is located in Michigan's southwest, along the lakeshore. Photo: Google Maps
Chris Gautz, public information officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections, tweeted that all Department of Corrections staff are safe and accounted for.
Several other wounded people are in stable condition at Lakeland Regional Hospital, Bailey said.
Michigan State Police and the Berrien County Sheriff's Department, reached by telephone, confirmed there had been a shooting, but declined to give any details.
No one answered the phone at the City of St. Joseph Public Safety Department.
- Reuters
