Overview
- Judge Astrit Kalaja died en route to hospital after a defendant opened fire during a property-dispute hearing at the Tirana Appeals Court, police said.
- Two other participants in the case, a father and son, were shot and hospitalized in stable condition.
- Police detained the suspected gunman at the scene, and local reports identified him as 30-year-old Elvis Shkambi.
- Prime Minister Edi Rama condemned the killing and urged tougher penalties for illegal weapons possession alongside a review of court security.
- President Bajram Begaj denounced the attack, and the prosecutor general called for stronger protection for judges, with local media noting such a killing has not occurred in decades.