MI - Ron Kienzle, 63, & Joe Zangaro, 61, fatally shot, St Joseph, 11 July 2016

ST. JOSEPH, MICH. - At least three people are dead at the Berrien County Courthouse following a shooting, an employee at the county prosecutor's office said.
Three people are dead and one person is injured, said the employee, who wished not to be named. Michigan State Police confirmed the shooting around 2:30 p.m. Monday, July 11.

Click to expand...

[Sheriff] Bailey said he expects to identify the victims and the shooter publicly Monday evening after all family have been notified. The courthouse will be closed Tuesday.

Click to expand...

The ABC7 I-Team reports that both bailiffs were retired police officers, one formerly with the Benton Township Police Department and the second a retired Michigan State Police trooper. Bailey said they had served as bailiffs for at least 10 years, but would not release or confirm any further details until next of kin notifications were complete.

Click to expand...

“Our hearts are torn apart. They were our friends, they were my colleagues,” Sheriff Paul Bailey said during a 6:15 p.m. news conference updating the investigation.

Bailey said a male deputy also injured in the shooting remains in stable condition at a local hospital.

The shooting happened around 2:15 p.m. at the courthouse on Port Street in downtown St. Joseph, after the inmate got into a fight with a bailiff and the deputy just outside of a holding cell, Bailey said. He said the inmate disarmed an officer and shot two bailiffs, the deputy and a civilian before some “brave officers” took down the unnamed suspect.

The civilian was taken to a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm. He or she was listed in stable condition Monday evening.

Click to expand...

cg777 said:

This is in my county. My family drives by the courthouse frequently. Very, very sad. According to a news brief that I heard on a local radio station (I've been unable to find a supporting link) the shooter was handcuffed and everything and still managed to take the gun off the deputy. Just a crazy, tragic circumstance.

Click to expand...

Gordon was in jail on two counts of criminal sexual conduct, Michigan State Police records show. He was also facing charges of kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, and domestic violence.

Click to expand...

On Monday night, the two bailiffs were identified as Ronald Kienzle and Joe Zangaro.

Kienzle was a 63-year-old retired sergeant with the Benton Charter Township Police Department. He also served in the U.S. Army.

Zangaro was the 61-year-old head of courthouse security. He retired from the Michigan State Police as post commander of the Bridgman Post.

James Atterberry is the deputy sheriff who was injured. He's currently in intensive care.

Atterberry and the unnamed civilian are being treated at a local hospital.

Click to expand...

Everyday Grace said:

More (including some comments from his ex-wife):
http://woodtv.com/2016/07/11/ex-wife-ids-berrien-county-courthouse-shooter/

Gordon's FB:
https://m.facebook.com/larry.gordon.752

Click to expand...

cg777 said:

Names of the suspect, deputy, and bailiffs as well as more details-

http://wsbt.com/news/local/breaking-officer-injured-after-shots-fired-at-berrien-county-courthouse

Click to expand...

bluesneakers said:

Is she the victim in his domestic violence charge?

Click to expand...

Gordon's wife, Jessica Gordon, told the Free Press she believes her ex-husband shot the officers because he was desperate to see his family and feared he wouldn't be able to get out of jail to see them.

She said he loved his 6-year-old daughter [Redacted]. They were divorced earlier this year. He was arrested in April but wanted to move back in with his family. She said she was keeping his last name because its his daughter's last name and they, as a family, had always been a team. They had been married 19 years.

She said never would have thought he would do something like this.

"He's not a monster," she said.

Click to expand...

She wouldn't comment on the criminal charges against him.

Click to expand...

Jessica Gordon told 24 Hour News 8 that her ex-husband was still her best friend. She was shocked to hear of what happened but said she had a feeling her ex-husband was involved even before the officers came to notify her.

“He was an amazing man that got mixed up with the wrong people. He loved his children and me and his mother and sister with everything that he had,” Gordon told 24 Hour News 8. “Our wedding anniversary would have been tomorrow.”

Gordon says she spoke with Larry yesterday and had no indication that he was planning any attack. Sheriff’s officials said they were still investigating whether the incident was planned.

“I believe he was probably terrified of having to go to prison and not seeing his family again,” Gordon said. “All he wanted to do was get home to our baby girl.”

Click to expand...

“I just don’t want the press to paint a picture of him as a angry violent person,” Gordon said. “I don’t want the lies. I don’t want the speculation.”

Click to expand...

al66pine said:

... Appears sequence of events was - ...
- he was being escorted back to jail; {{{Was he still in ct room? Or out of ct room?}}
- he then took gun from a deputy and shot 2 bailiffs who died, shot one deputy who survived; ...
{{ETA: per post by cg777, he was handcuffed. If so, he must have been pretty agile and fast. True whether cuffed in front or back.}}}

Click to expand...

al66pine said:

Forgive me for quoting my own post. Also snipping. Looks like I was wrong about location of events. My apologies.

Per Sheriff Bailey, "...Gordon was in the process of being moved from a holding cell. A fight erupted outside of the cell and the inmate got hold of the gun, shot the deputy and then shot and killed two other bailiffs....it doesn't appear that he was cuffed at the time of the shooting. The sheriff explained that not all inmates would be cuffed in this situation, and he says they had no indication that Gordon would be violent." bbm
http://www.wndu.com/content/news/Em...-at-Berrien-County-Courthouse--386335651.html July 11

Questions about inmate escort procedure.
- Do bailiffs carry firearms? Esp in this county.
- Do bailiffs normally escort inmates between jail to ct bdg/court room and back? Or it that typically done by co. deputies? Esp in this county?

Anyone know? Thx in adv. Thoughts & prayers to all involved.

Click to expand...