On July 11, 2016, Larry Darnell Gordon, an inmate, opened fire on the third floor of the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan, United States, killing two bailiffs and injuring a sheriff's deputy.
Gordon, who was facing a multitude of charges that carried a possible life sentence, was being taken to a holding cell following a courthouse hearing when he disarmed an officer and attempted to take hostages.
Prior to the shooting, Gordon was handcuffed and escorted by a deputy sheriff from the Berrien County Courthouse to a holding cell following the conclusion of a hearing.
He then escaped into a public hallway, where he briefly took hostages when cornered by four other responding bailiffs (Ken Field, Milt Russell, Tom Schultz and Rick Lull).
[4] According to police, these charges were filed after it was discovered that Gordon had entered into a year-long sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl in October 2015, started making sex videos of her, and locked her in a shed on one occasion.
[2] According to the girl, Gordon would forcibly give her methamphetamine in exchange for sex, occasionally rape her, strangle her, and assault her with a variety of weapons, all the while recording the acts.
[4] On April 20, following a police welfare check on the couple's home in January, Gordon was arrested on an outstanding warrant filed in relation to those charges.
[20][21] Governor Rick Snyder traveled to the courthouse the evening of July 11 for a press conference, during which he stated, "This is a particularly tough time for law enforcement.