Morning Shootout at Las Vegas Courthouse: Gunman and Security Officer Killed

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 02:32:15 PM EST
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A man who had been summoned for jury service was leaving the Las Vegas courthouse when shooting erupted outside. There's no video of the actual shooting, but he has audio of the gunshots -- and there sure were a lot of shots fired. He ends with, "I think they got him."

No motive has yet emerged for the shootings which claimed the life of a court security officer and the gunman, and injured a Deputy U.S. Marshal.[More...]

The U.S. Marshal's office released this statement:

“A Deputy U.S. Marshal and Court Security Officer were shot at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse in Las Vegas this morning. The gunman was shot by Marshals Service personnel and has been pronounced dead. The Deputy U.S. Marshal is in stable condition at a local hospital. Unfortunately, the Court Security Officer succumbed to his wounds and passed away. We are not releasing any names until next-of-kin notifications are complete. The courthouse is still being secured. We do not know the motive for the shooting at this time and the investigation into the shooting is still underway. I will provide more information as it becomes available.”

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Morning Shootout at Las Vegas Courthouse: Gunman and Security Officer Killed | 18 comments (18 topical)

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I'm amazed and grateful... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by kdog on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 05:01:59 PM EST

tragedies like this don't happen more often in a society that has more punishment than crime.

If you think about it, if everybody wronged in the halls of "justice" came back with a piece we'd see this every damn day...luckily random people, on the whole, are more humane and forgiving than the societal systems we've created.

Las Vegas *Federal* Courthouse (none / 0) (#1)
by Peter G on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 03:47:29 PM EST

A "court security officer" in federal court is like a security guard for the courthouse; I think they work for the General Services Administration. At least where I live, many are retired police officers.

Betting there probably (none / 0) (#2)
by robotalk on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 03:49:55 PM EST

is videotape of incident, if my experience at fed cts in anything similar to the courthouse in LV.

Oh, shoot. (Pun intended). (none / 0) (#3)
by oldpro on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 04:52:43 PM EST

Not that thrilled with having to report for jury duty on Thursday...

huh? (none / 0) (#4)
by ding7777 on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 04:59:22 PM EST

FBI spokesman Joseph Dickey said the shooting was not believed to have any connection to terrorism.

It might not be Islamic terrorismm but its still terrorism.

Better not to use "terrorism" loosely (5.00 / 0) (#7)
by Peter G on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 05:35:50 PM EST

Unless the shooting was intended to strike fear into a larger population by attacking victims not selected on the basis of who they are as individuals, and to convey an ideological message or advance an ideological cause, it is better not to call other kinds of crime (or crazy behavior) "terrorism."


Shee-it... (none / 0) (#6)
by kdog on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 05:04:53 PM EST

If we're gonna get technical, you could call half the sh&t that goes down in the courthouses across the land terrorism.


That's a stretch. (none / 0) (#9)
by oculus on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 06:24:38 PM EST

I'm known to stretch...:) (none / 0) (#10)
by kdog on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 06:39:30 PM EST

though if you go by this definition...

the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious

Placing people in chains and cages is a violent act...and when used in response to drug "crimes" with no victim...why not call it legal terrorism?


I am curious as to which conduct, (none / 0) (#12)
by oculus on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 08:10:17 PM EST

if any, you would define as criminal?


Murder, Rape, Theft, Assault... (none / 0) (#13)
by kdog on Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 08:05:46 AM EST

ya know, violent acts to person or property with an easily identifiable victim(s).

The further we stray from the basics the less worthy of respect the criminal justice system becomes...imo we've strayed so far the criminal justice system is causing actual harm to identifiable victims, never mind being unworhty of respect, it is worthy of outright scorn.

Just checking. FYI, criminal (none / 0) (#14)
by oculus on Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 08:14:07 AM EST

statutes are the product of legislative bodies.


Legislative bodies? (none / 0) (#15)
by kdog on Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 08:28:14 AM EST

Don't you mean tyrannical bodies? :)


: Ha. What a piece of work. (none / 0) (#16)
by oculus on Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 08:28:55 AM EST

NBC nightly news reported (none / 0) (#8)
by scribe on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 06:01:57 PM EST

the shooter was a 66 y/o man who was upset about cuts to social security benefits.

Whether the cuts were to his benefits. or he'd been deluded by the teabaggers about so-far-nonexistent cuts, they didn't say.

I suspected (2.00 / 0) (#11)
by Wile ECoyote on Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 06:47:21 PM EST

it was the fault of people who publicly disagreed with the president's fiscal policy.


Social Security (none / 0) (#17)
by jbindc on Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 09:13:25 AM EST

Apparently the man torched his own home before he left to try and shoot up the federal building.

In 2008, he filed a claim with Social Security, stating his beneifts were cut because of racial discrimination. In 2009, the case case was thrown out. He also apparently had a beef with an employee of the Social Security office, which was housed in the federal building. These facts have not definitively been attributed as the motive, but sorry kdog, looks like it had nothing to do with the justice system.


: Assumption corrected... (none / 0) (#18)
by kdog on Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 09:25:24 AM EST

it was a beef with another government entity in the federal building...but I was in the ballpark!
Obviously I do not agree with how the violent loony-bird attempted settle the beef...I only can understand the sentiment.