3 dead in courthouse shooting in Delaware

"He walked right up the first victim and shot her point-blank right in the chest. He then turned around and shot a second woman who was approximately 10 feet away," said Bill Heriot, who says he was waiting to enter the New Castle County Courthouse on Monday morning. He said the heavy-set man, who appeared to be in his 50s, pulled out a semiautomatic pistol and fired a single shot at each victim.

Heriot said the shooter then exchanged gunfire with police before falling to the floor.

Delaware State Police Sgt. Paul Shavack said the suspect and the women are dead. Mayor Dennis Williams said in a phone interview that one of the women killed was the shooter's estranged wife, but Shavack said police had not confirmed that.

Shavack also declined Monday night to confirm Heriot's account of the shooting, or disclose who shot whom, saying investigators were still reviewing surveillance video and taking witness statements. Authorities have also declined to release the names of the deceased.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden said at a news conference that the shooting was not a random act of violence.

"It's developed out of a long — over the course of many years — custody dispute in the courts of this state," Biden said.

Authorities said two police officers were also shot, but were treated at a hospital and released. Chief William Jopp of the Capitol Police, which provides security at state government buildings, said they were protected by their armored vests.

Authorities said the gunman opened fire in the lobby of the courthouse, where people line up to go through metal detectors.

"He did not break the (security) perimeter," Shavack said.

Jose Beltran, 53, an employee at the courthouse, said he heard two shots, "Boom, Boom," as he was entering the lobby. Beltran said he heard at least three more shots as he turned around and ran.

"It happened so fast," he said.

Chick Chinski, 62, of Middletown was entering the courthouse to report for jury duty when he heard popping sounds.

"It didn't sound like gunfire first at all," said Chinski, adding that the shooter seemed to deliberately target the two women who were killed.