As long as there have been courthouses, there has been a danger of violence surrounding them. Courthouses are a place where people take conflicts to be solved. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 by foreign terrorists and the earlier 1995 attack against the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City by domestic terrorists has increased the awareness of the need for more security in public buildings. In this descriptive study of 500 sheriff’s departments across the United States, 114 courthouse shootings are examined for motive, weapon availability, and casualties occurred.
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