Italian on trial guns down 3 in Milan court
Print Edition
A MAN on trial for fraudulent bankruptcy opened fire in Milan’s courthouse yesterday, killing his lawyer, a co-defendant and a judge before being captured nearly 25 kilometers away as he fled on a motorbike, officials said.
Premier Matteo Renzi promised a full-fledged investigation into how the gunman, Claudio Giardiello, managed to bring a gun into the fortress-like tribunal, where metal detectors are used for visitors but not for employees, magistrates and accredited lawyers. “Our commitment is that this never happens again, and that those responsible pay,” Renzi said.
However, he added that police deserved praise for “heroically” finding and disarming the gunman without incident.
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the suspect was caught by carabinieri police in Vimercate, near Monza, indicating he had traveled some 25 kilometers from the scene before being captured.
Prosecutor Edmondo Bruti Liberati said the gunman first fired on his lawyer and co-defendant, killing both and then seriously injured a second co-defendant.
Afterward, he “walked through the building, going down a floor, and killed the judge,” Bruti Liberati said.
He identified the slain judge as Fernando Ciampi, who worked in the civil section of the bankruptcy court.
Giardiello reportedly fired at least 13 shots during the spree and had two spare cartridges for his weapon, indicating he acted with “cold premeditation.”
Bruti Liberati said the gunman was on trial with two others for fraudulent bankruptcy.
Giardiello’s former attorney, Valerio Maraniello, told RAI state TV the case concerned a failed real estate business and that Giardiello was “very unusual” and “over the top” in his legal dealings.
The shooting immediately raised questions about how the man gained entrance to the Fascist-era courthouse with a weapon, given that visitors must pass through metal detectors.
The courthouse has metal detectors at the four main entrances, but lawyers and courthouse employees with official IDs are regularly waved through without the additional security screen and accredited employees can drive into the internal garage.
The deputy interior minister, Filippo Bubbico, said an investigation would determine who was to blame for any security lapse, given also that the gunman wasn’t stopped as he moved from one floor to the next to continue the spree, and then was able to flee unimpeded.
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