Courthouse shooting highlights need for improved security measures in Baltimore
BALTIMORE — A 35-year-old man died Friday following a shooting at the Eastside District Courthouse.
The shooting shut down the courthouse on Jan. 31.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the man, later identified as Garry Wright, 35, walked into the courthouse experiencing a behavioral crisis around 8:40 am.
"The bailiffs tried to address him," Worley said. "The sheriff's deputies tried to address him, and then he withdrew the weapon."
Worley said the man pointed a gun at himself. Deputies and bailiffs asked him to drop the weapon. When he didn't, a bailiff shot at him.
Worley said investigators believe the bailiff, who is a retired Baltimore Police officer, fired two shots. One of them hit the man's lower body.
Then, the man shot himself. No one else was hurt in this shooting.
"It looks like he went through the second set of double doors," Worley said. "He never reached the security system. It was clear that he was suffering from some kind of behavioral crisis by his mannerisms."
Safety at Maryland courthouses
Baltimore Sheriff Sam Cogen said this leads to a larger conversation surrounding safety at Maryland courthouses.
"Lots of things going on in our courthouses everyday -- high stress events, emotional events, people on trial, people getting divorced," Cogen said. "I know that there's going to be a bill in Annapolis looking at court security statewide."
Looking to the Maryland General Assembly, House Bill 789 and Senate Bill 621 were introduced this month. It would establish a certain number of security officers in each courtroom during court proceedings.
"I hope that this incident is examined as well so it's on everyone's mind how incredibly important it is to secure the courthouse and have the resources to be able to do that," Cogen said.
Worley said detectives plan to retrieve camera footage from the scene. They don't know why the man showed up to the courthouse.
Charges are preliminary, according to Worley. He said the main focus is making sure the man recovers.
"This, of course, is just a tragic situation," said Mayor Brandon Scott. "What this, again, shows is that behavioral mental health is a real and deep issue and we have to continue to do everything that we can to deal with it."
The Attorney General's Office will take over this investigation.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
