Tirana appeals court shooting kills judge, wounds two

A man on trial opened fire inside an appellate courtroom in Tirana on Monday, killing the presiding judge and wounding two others before fleeing and later being arrested, police said. Appeals court judge Astrit Kalaja was shot during the hearing and died while being transported to hospital. The suspect, a 30-year-old man identified by police with the initials E Sh, was detained soon after the attack and the revolver believed to have been used was recovered, authorities said.

Police said the two wounded were members of the opposing party in the trial, described as a father and son, and that their injuries were not life threatening. Officials have not released details about the motive or the specific charges in the case. Local press reports identified the dispute as relating to property and suggested the shooter may have acted after learning the ruling would go against him, but police have not confirmed that account.

Prime Minister Edi Rama described the killing as a tragic event and called for tougher sentences for gun-related crimes, writing that "the judge's killer should face the most extreme legal response." President Bajram Begaj condemned the attack in a statement, calling...