Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29
UPDATE: One of the dead women is the shooter's wife:
A man was shot killed inside a Delaware courthouse Monday morning after he opened fire in the lobby, killing his wife and another woman before officers gunned him down.
The shooting took place just after 8:15 a.m. in Wilmington, WPVI-TV reported. Two women and two police officers were hit by gunfire during the exchange.
Police confirmed that both women died. The condition of the officers was not stated.
The shooter was identified as 45-year-old David Matusiewicz, who was due to be in court Monday morning for a child support hearing.
He previously served prison time for parental kidnapping, in a case that attracted national media attention.
Federal agents ultimately tracked him down in Nicaragua 19 months after vanishing, having told his wife that he was taking their three children to Disney World.
Let's see: Courthouse, metal detectors, armed police officers. The shooting happened anyway. Hmm. Maybe we need to do something else to stop gun violence? Nah, can't think of a thing!
This shooting was right next to the Amtrak station where Joe Biden used to commute to D.C. Jennifer Lubinsky, an attorney who was present, says on Twitter that three are reported dead -- and now she's being trolled by NRA fanboys:
Five people were shot when a gunman opened fire at the New Castle County Courthouse this morning, state police said. At least one of the wounded was a Capitol Police officer.
Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams reported the shooter had been killed.
The shooter was killed by Capitol Police officers, according to state police spokesman Sgt. Paul Shavack. The shooter was in his late 20s to early 30s. Police are still trying to determine his identity.
The shooting began around 8 a.m. when the gunman was stopped by security at a security checkpoint inside the front door.
Ferris Wharton, a public defender and former chief deputy attorney general, said an employee of his office reported that he saw a woman who appeared to be dead in the lobby. The employee also saw bullet holes in the window by the revolving door of courthouse that is adjacent to the parking garage. Shell casings littered the ground, the employee said, according to Wharton.
“I don’t know what to say,’’ said Wharton, who has worked in the Wilmington courthouses for three decades. “I’ve never heard of anything like this happening in Delaware. It’s a wild situation.’’
Sandra Autman, deputy New Castle County prothonotary, says she and several other “hysterical staff” were holed up in their mezzanine office, one level below the lobby. She said employees heard at least five shots.
Dozens of police cars are in the area, and streets are cordoned off for several blocks around the courthouse. Multiple ambulances and firetrucks also are on the scene.
