Scanner traffic from Berrien County provides insight to the hectic moments after gunfire erupted at the St. Joseph County Courthouse on Monday afternoon, July 11.
A man inside the courthouse somehow got access to a gun and began shooting between 2:15 and 2:30 p.m., Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said. Two bailiffs and the shooter were dead by the time the shooting ended, and a sheriff’s deputy and a civilian were injured.
The scanner traffic reveals how hectic it was as police rushed to the scene and called for more help. Officers said the suspect had taken a hostage and was shooting others. Moments later, officers were performing CPR on the suspected shooter before he died.
You can listen to the scanner recording below and read the transcript of the recording, as provided by our news partners ABC 57. (EDITOR’S NOTE: The audio may be disturbing to some listeners.)
Excerpts from scanner traffic:
JUST LETTING YOU KNOW, WE HAVE REPORTS OF SHOTS FIRED AT THE COURTHOUSE
802 BERRIEN FIRE AT THE COURTHOUSE – MAN ON THE SECOND FLOOR WITH A GUN HE’S GOT HOSTAGES
BERRIEN NO SHOTS FIRED YET, WE HAVE HIM CORNERED ON THE SECOND FLOOR – HE HAS A GUN WITH A HOSTAGE
SHOTS FIRED! SHOTS FIRED! ONE DOWN!
OFFICER DOWN! OFFICER DOWN! – CLEAR OFFICER DOWN
SOUNDS LIKE WE’VE GOT MORE VICTIMS, WE HAVE MORE UNITS HEADING THAT WAY
THIRD FLOOR, COME OFF THE ELEVATOR, YOU NEED TO COME RIGHT OFF, WE HAVE AN OFFICER DOWN THERE – AND THEN COME TO THE RIGHT, WE’VE GOT ANOTHER ONE THERE
THIRD FLOOR JUST OFF THE ELEVATOR, CPR IN PROGRESS
WE’RE DOING C-P-R ON TWO RIGHT NOW AND WE’RE GONNA PROBABLY NEED TWO OR THREE AMBULANCES
SHOOTER IS DOWN, SHOOTER IS DOWN
WE’RE DOING C-P-R ON THE SHOOTER AND C-P-R ON THE OFFICER DOWN
