Judge Barnes, Court Reporter Killed
Last Modified: 3/11/2005 10:52:48 AMA Superior Court judge, two sheriff's deputies and a court reporter were shot in downtown Atlanta Friday morning. Judge Rowland Barnes and his court reporter have died of their injuries, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor confirmed for 11Alive News.
A search is underway for the suspect, who has been identified as Brian Nichols. Nichols was in a courtroom for proceedings on a rape charge when he grabbed a deputy's weapon and opened fire. He later carjacked several vehicles, one of which belonged to Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Don O'Bryant, who was pistol whipped.
The latest vehicle Nichols fled in is a green Honda Accord that he may be using to head toward Alabama, police said. Electronic highway messages are being posted throughout the state with information on that vehicle.
While in Judge Barnes' courtroom on the eighth floor of the Fulton County courthouse Friday morning, Nichols wrestled a gun away from a deputy and started shooting.
11Alive News Reporter Denis O'Hayer heard the shooting as he readied to enter the state Capitol one block away.
"We heard five shots, very loud, very clear, very distinct and we moved immediately toward them and saw this Fulton County sheriff's deputy lying on the ground. We saw officers beginning to work on him," said O'Hayer. "He was clearly very seriously wounded."
"(The officers) were working furiously on him, they were trying to give him chest compressions. They were so desperate to get him to medical care at a hospital that they tried to load him in the front seat of a squad car. He could not fit in there. They tried to get him on the passenger side. They took him out, put him back on the ground, tried to load him into the back seat of that squad car. They had no luck there. They got him back on the ground. An ambulance arrived."
The deputy was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. A second deputy is also being treated for injuries.
The suspect ran to a Centennial Olympic Park parking deck and stole a Mazda Tribute with the license plate 4643 ABW, according to police.
The suspect drove to Combs Street and went into a second parking garage. A witness told police that the suspect put a gun to a woman's head and stole her vehicle, a 1997 grey or green Honda Accord with the license plate 6584YN.
The Fulton County courthouse and other buildings in downtown Atlanta were on lockdown. Traffic in the blocks surrounding the courthouse was backed up as police cruisers flooded the area looking for the suspect.
A motive for the shooting was unknown. One woman said she saw the man run past her as she entered the parking garage of the courthouse.
"I was entering the parking garage and just as I got my ticket I heard several shots, turned to go up the ramp and saw the guy run past me," said Wanda Tamplan.
"Another lady and I made a decision to get in the elevator and go down and as we got down the police had their guns drawn and rushed us out."
We'll continue to follow this breaking news and have an update from the scene.
The motive was "unknown"????
Good grief, the reporter who wrote this couldn't guess that maybe the perp was trying to escape????