Bailiffs kill shooter inside Florida courthouse

updated 6:30 p.m. ET May 7, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Bailiffs shot and killed a man who opened fire in the lobby of a downtown courthouse Wednesday afternoon, sheriff's officials said.

One of the two bailiffs who fired at the unidentified man suffered a non-life-threatening shoulder wound, Pinellas County Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner said. No one else was hurt, despite court staffers and others in the lobby at the time.

The gunman wearing a backpack entered the courthouse shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday and approached a security checkpoint. A deputy ordered him to remove the backpack and place it on a conveyor belt, but the man instead threw it on the ground and opened fire with a semiautomatic handgun, Bordner said.

The deputies returned fire, wounding the man. He later died at a St. Petersburg hospital.

'Run for your life'
Cassandra Grady, 40, and her 15-year-old daughter had gone to the courthouse for a hearing and saw the gunman before the shooting. Grady told the St. Petersburg Times the man asked her where he could file a petition, and that she saw a gun handle in his backpack.

"I told my daughter, 'Run for your life.' Then I started running. I was trying to run to warn them. He started shooting. I heard a round of shots: pop-pop-pop, pop-pop-pop."

Grady was shaken but grateful to be alive. "I just want to say, 'Thank you, God.' It could have been us."

Courthouse shuts down
Pinellas County Clerk of Court Ken Burke said one of his office's windows was shattered by a bullet. Clerk's staff escaped injury, but he said a worker had just emerged from the elevator when the gunshots erupted.

The courthouse closed after the shooting and was expected to resume to normal business on Thursday. Deputies were preparing to search the man's backpack about three hours after the shooting.

Authorities did not release additional information about the man or any motive Wednesday afternoon.

"It's unfortunate that a life was lost, but the public, employees, judges and others in the courthouse were properly protected," said Judge Robert Morris, the chief judge of Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit.

More from msnbc.com First Read: Palin on creationism, Clinton, Fey Ice addict heads for poles, Everest | Trek posts Daily Nightly: Tim McGraw helps neighbors in need Were you paying attention? Take our weekly quiz World Blog: China puts foot down on 'Oba Mao' T-shirts Stimulus tracker: See where millions of dollars went On Twitter: Breaking news updates | Weird and wild

MORE FROM CRIME & COURTS

Crime & courts Section Front

Authorities suspend search for missing N.C. girl Funerals held for some Fort Hood victims Madoff's Mets jacket sells for $14,500 Obama: Congress should wait on Fort Hood Former congressman sentenced to 13 years ‘Balloon boy’ parents plead guilty Evangelist gets 175 years for child sex Lawmaker: Hasan linked to Pakistan Suspected serial killer had previous arrest Dugard suspect apologizes for ‘sexual problem’ Crime & courts Section Front   Add Crime & courts headlines to your news reader: