judge shot dead after man opens fire in courtroom during his case

Judge Astrit Kalaja served for three decades as a judge (Picture: Contributed)

A man has been arrested after a judge was shot dead during an appeals hearing in court.

Judge Astrit Kalaja was presiding over a property dispute case when a man opened fire.

The judge later died from his injuries while being rushed to the hospital in Tirana.

Local media has reported the gunman’s name as Elvis Shkëmbi. A statement from police confirmed a man with the initials ‘E Sh’ has been arrested.

A father and son,part of one of the parties in court,were also shot and taken to the hospital. Their condition is stable.

The shooting has been criticised by Prime Minister Edi Rama,who said tougher sentencing needs to be enforced for gun-related crimes.

The gunman has been apprehended (Picture: Getty)

‘The criminal aggression against the judge undoubtedly requires the most extreme legal response toward the aggressor,’ he added.

Albania’s general prosecutor Olsian Çela said: ‘Beyond the heartbreaking loss of one life and the injury of two others,this event strikes at the very foundation of justice and the functioning of the legal system.’

Judge Kalaja had served in his position for three decades,joining the Tirana Court of Appeals in 2019.