On July 11, 2016, Saint-Joseph, Michigan’s Berrien County Courthouse was the scene of a deadly escape attempt that killed two longtime law enforcement officers. Joseph Peter Zangaro, 61, head of courthouse security and a retired Michigan State Police post commander, was among those shot when an inmate being moved from a holding cell disarmed a sheriff’s deputy and opened fire. Ronald Kienzle, 63, a bailiff and retired police officer, was also killed; a deputy sheriff and a civilian were wounded.

The shooter, 44-year-old inmate Larry Darnell Gordon, had been facing multiple felony charges, including kidnapping and counts of criminal sexual conduct involving a teenage girl. Gordon briefly took hostages inside the courthouse before other court officers returned fire and killed him at the scene. Investigators determined Gordon acted alone. Anyone with memories of the courthouse that day or information about Joseph Zangaro’s service and life is asked to share what they know.