Sharone Spates

Sharone Spates, 29, was shot and killed by another man next to City Hall. A nearby police officer then shot and killed the gunman. The violence unfolded outside the crumbling old municipal courthouse at 14th and Market streets. For months, a small group of homeless people lived in tents there, and many others gathered to socialize and hawk rolling papers, food and other goods. After the shooting, police crowded the area as people made their way into work inside City Hall. Within hours, city streets and forestry workers pulled up tents, fenced off the area and cleared out stragglers. In a statement, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones commended the officer who shot the gunman for upholding “his duty to protect and serve,” and said her administration was taking the incident seriously. “The safety of our residents and staff is paramount,” she said. “Individuals will no longer be permitted to congregate near the (old courthouse).” Friday’s incident began around 7:30 a.m., when police said an officer saw a gunman and an injured man running toward him. The officer shot the gunman, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim of the original shooting was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The 42-year-old officer, an 18-year veteran of the department, was not injured.