Judge killed in courtroom shooting in Albania

A man on trial opened fire in a courtroom in the Albanian capital, Tirana, killing the judge and injuring two other people, police have said.

The judge, Astrit Kalaja, was presiding during a hearing at the court of appeal on Monday when the man opened fire, police said, adding that the shooter was promptly arrested. “The judge was rushed to the hospital, but succumbed to his injuries on the way,” a police statement said.

The other party to the trial, a father and son, were also shot and taken to the hospital but were in a stable condition. According to local press reports, the case concerned a property dispute.

Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, said it was a “tragic event” and called for tougher sentencing for gun-related crimes. He said such crimes warranted “the most extreme legal response against the aggressor”.

The country’s president, Bajram Begaj, condemned the shooting in a statement, describing it as “a terrible attack against the entire justice system”.

According to data from the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, there were 213 firearm incidents in Albania between January and June this year.