j.m@talk
03-12-2005, 04:09 AM
ATLANTA (Reuters) - A massive manhunt was underway on Saturday after a man on trial for rape grabbed a deputy's gun and opened fire inside an Atlanta courthouse, killing a judge and two other people before escaping.
Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes and a court reporter died from gunshot wounds in the shooting on Friday morning at Fulton County Courthouse, said Georgia Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor.
A deputy sheriff also was killed and another wounded, police said. The deputy who lost her gun was in critical condition but expected to survive, doctors said.
The suspect, identified by police as Brian Nichols, 33, gunned down a second deputy outside the building and then carjacked at least one vehicle. He also pistol-whipped a journalist during his escape, police and witnesses said.
Tow truck driver Deronta Franklin was parked near the court in downtown Atlanta when a man he identified as Nichols opened the door and pointed a gun at him.
"He was calm and cool," Franklin told CNN. "He said 'Get out of the truck."'
Authorities in Georgia and neighboring states launched a massive manhunt for Nichols, appealing to the public to report any sightings. Electronic highway messages were posted in Georgia with information on the car Nichols was believed to have taken after abandoning the tow truck.
But the car, a green Honda, was found late on Friday evening in a parking garage in Atlanta, with no sign of Nichols. Investigators said they did not know what type of vehicle the fugitive might now be driving.
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue announced a $10,000 reward to anyone providing information that led to Nichols' arrest.
The shooting occurred less than two weeks after the husband and mother of a federal judge in Chicago were shot to death, raising further questions about the security of the nation's judicial officials.
Investigators believe Nichols was able to get a gun by overpowering the deputy who was escorting him into court, said Atlanta Assistant Police Chief Alan Dreher.
It was not clear whether Nichols was handcuffed or in shackles at the time. The gunman then proceeded into the court, where he held those inside hostage and shot the judge and court stenographer, Dreher said.
Nichols was on trial before Judge Barnes for the rape, assault, and false imprisonment of his ex-girlfriend. His first trial ended in a hung jury last week, but prosecutors said Nichols was acting as if the second trial would end with a conviction.
Gayle Abramson, the lead prosecutor in the case, said a home-made shank had been found in Nichols' shoe this week and the defendant had been making inappropriate remarks in the days before the shooting.
"I think he was seeking revenge on the criminal justice system," Abramson said at a news conference.
Barnes, 64, presided over a number of high-profile cases, including that of Atlanta Thrashers hockey star Dany Heatley, charged in a 2003 car crash that killed teammate Dan Snyder.
Last month, the judge ordered a woman who killed her 5-week-old daughter to voluntarily undergo a medical procedure that would prevent her from having more children.
"He was one of the best judges I've worked with," said Steven Kellis, a defense lawyer and former prosecutor who argued cases before the bearded jurist. "He was very fair to both defense lawyers and prosecutors." (Additional reporting by Jane Sutton and Jim Loney in Miami, Paul Simao in Atlanta and Doina Chiacu in Washington)
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Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes and a court reporter died from gunshot wounds in the shooting on Friday morning at Fulton County Courthouse, said Georgia Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor.
A deputy sheriff also was killed and another wounded, police said. The deputy who lost her gun was in critical condition but expected to survive, doctors said.
The suspect, identified by police as Brian Nichols, 33, gunned down a second deputy outside the building and then carjacked at least one vehicle. He also pistol-whipped a journalist during his escape, police and witnesses said.
Tow truck driver Deronta Franklin was parked near the court in downtown Atlanta when a man he identified as Nichols opened the door and pointed a gun at him.
"He was calm and cool," Franklin told CNN. "He said 'Get out of the truck."'
Authorities in Georgia and neighboring states launched a massive manhunt for Nichols, appealing to the public to report any sightings. Electronic highway messages were posted in Georgia with information on the car Nichols was believed to have taken after abandoning the tow truck.
But the car, a green Honda, was found late on Friday evening in a parking garage in Atlanta, with no sign of Nichols. Investigators said they did not know what type of vehicle the fugitive might now be driving.
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue announced a $10,000 reward to anyone providing information that led to Nichols' arrest.
The shooting occurred less than two weeks after the husband and mother of a federal judge in Chicago were shot to death, raising further questions about the security of the nation's judicial officials.
Investigators believe Nichols was able to get a gun by overpowering the deputy who was escorting him into court, said Atlanta Assistant Police Chief Alan Dreher.
It was not clear whether Nichols was handcuffed or in shackles at the time. The gunman then proceeded into the court, where he held those inside hostage and shot the judge and court stenographer, Dreher said.
Nichols was on trial before Judge Barnes for the rape, assault, and false imprisonment of his ex-girlfriend. His first trial ended in a hung jury last week, but prosecutors said Nichols was acting as if the second trial would end with a conviction.
Gayle Abramson, the lead prosecutor in the case, said a home-made shank had been found in Nichols' shoe this week and the defendant had been making inappropriate remarks in the days before the shooting.
"I think he was seeking revenge on the criminal justice system," Abramson said at a news conference.
Barnes, 64, presided over a number of high-profile cases, including that of Atlanta Thrashers hockey star Dany Heatley, charged in a 2003 car crash that killed teammate Dan Snyder.
Last month, the judge ordered a woman who killed her 5-week-old daughter to voluntarily undergo a medical procedure that would prevent her from having more children.
"He was one of the best judges I've worked with," said Steven Kellis, a defense lawyer and former prosecutor who argued cases before the bearded jurist. "He was very fair to both defense lawyers and prosecutors." (Additional reporting by Jane Sutton and Jim Loney in Miami, Paul Simao in Atlanta and Doina Chiacu in Washington)
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