U.S. judge fires back at man in court shootout
An Ohio judge was shot Monday morning outside his courthouse in an ambush attack that ended when the judge and a probation officer returned fire, killing the attacker, authorities said.
Police said a man apparently waiting for Judge Joseph Bruzzese, who sits on the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas, ran up to the judge and began shooting when he approached the courthouse. Bruzzese drew a gun and fired at least five rounds at the shooter, possibly hitting the attacker, Jefferson County Sheriff Fred J. Abdalla told reporters Monday morning.
“This individual laid in wait for our judge,” Abdalla said, tearing up during his remarks. “It just hurts. First thing on Monday morning, you have a judge shot in front of his courthouse . . . This was an ambush and an attempted murder on our judge.”
The shooting occurred in Steubenville, Ohio, a place best known for a high-profile rape case involving high school football players. In a bizarre twist, the shooter was identified by authorities on Monday afternoon as Nathaniel Richmond, father of one of the two teenage boys found delinquent — or guilty — in 2013 as part of that rape case.
Jane Hanlin, prosecutor for Jefferson County, identified Richmond as the shooter and said authorities do not believe there was any connection whatsoever between the shooting and Richmond’s son, Ma’lik.
Bruzzese had “nothing at all to do with that particular case,” Hanlin said during an afternoon briefing, noting that it was handled by a judge from another area.
However, Hanlin said authorities still did not know what might have motivated Monday’s shooting. She said Nathaniel Richmond did have a criminal history and was involved in a pending case, but it was unclear if that case had anything to do with the shooting.
Bruzzese was taken into surgery, authorities said, and was in stable condition, according to the local news station WTOV9.