Overview

• Judge Astrit Kalaja was shot during an appeals hearing in Tirana and died while being transported to the hospital, police said.
• A 30-year-old defendant allegedly opened fire, also wounding a father and son who remain hospitalized in stable condition.
• Police detained the suspect after he fled the courthouse and recovered a revolver believed to have been used in the attack.
• Local media report the case involved a property dispute, with investigators still examining the motive and security lapses.
• Prime Minister Edi Rama and President Bajram Begaj condemned the killing and pressed for tougher gun-crime sentences and court security reviews, as SEESAC logged 213 firearm incidents in Albania in the first half of 2025.