A judge was shot and wounded Monday in a deliberate “ambush-style” assault outside a courthouse in Steubenville, Ohio, and a suspect died during a shootout, a local sheriff told reporters.
Common Pleas Judge Joseph J. Bruzzese Jr. received medical attention after being shot about 8 a.m. outside the Jefferson County Courthouse in the eastern Ohio city more than 38 miles west of Pittsburgh.
“Fran and I are praying for Judge Bruzzese and his family at this difficult time,” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said, referring to his wife.
Injured person flown to Pittsburgh-area hospital
After reviewing video of the shooting, Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said he believes the assault was a deliberate attack on the judge.
He said it appears the suspect walked up to the judge as he approached the courthouse and shot him several times.
Abdalla said the suspect’s gun was in point-blank range, near the judge’s stomach.
He said the shooter was hit three times and his body remains at the scene. The judge was carrying a weapon and may have shot the suspect at least once.
However, Abdalla said, a probation officer on the scene also shot the suspect. Once the bullet slugs are removed from the body, it will be determined who shot the suspect.
One person was being flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh-area hospital, according to Steubenville Fire Chief Carlo Capaldi. He would not disclose the person’s identity.
The Bureau of Criminal Investigation at the Ohio attorney general’s office is investigating the shooting.