A shocking courtroom shooting in Tirana, Albania, has left an appeals court judge dead and two others injured, prompting widespread outrage and renewed calls for tighter security within the country’s judicial system.
Authorities confirmed that Judge Astrit Kalaja was fatally shot on Monday, dying while being transported to the hospital. The 30-year-old suspect, who fled the scene after the attack, was later apprehended by police. A revolver believed to have been used in the shooting was also recovered.
According to police reports, the gunman also shot a father and son involved in the trial, both of whom were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Local media said the case before the court concerned a property dispute.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama described the killing as a “tragic event” and urged for a thorough review of court security measures. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Rama called for harsher penalties for gun-related crimes, saying the perpetrator should face “the most extreme legal response.”
President Bajram Begaj also condemned the attack, calling it “a terrible assault on the entire justice system.”
Data from the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons shows that between January and June 2025, Albania recorded 213 gun-related incidents, underscoring the country’s ongoing struggle with firearms violence.
Under Albanian law, illegal gun possession carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.
The tragedy comes as Albania continues to grapple with a backlog of court cases following sweeping judicial reforms launched in 2016, backed by the European Union and the United States. The reforms aimed to clean up corruption in the judiciary but have since caused significant delays, with tens of thousands of cases still pending.
