Muslim-hating lawyer shoots top barrister and then himself in 'right-wing feud'
AN ISLAMOPHOBIC lawyer with links to the far right shot a colleague before turning the gun on himself in a dramatic courtroom shootout today.
Joseph Scipilliti, the lawyer suspected of shooting and critically injuring a colleague
The horrific attack saw barrister Joseph Scipilliti, 64, storm into the office of Henrique Vannier, 42, with a handgun in a court in Melun, south of Paris.
Scipilliti, who was facing a disciplinary hearing, reportedly shot Mr Vannier three times - once each in the chest, shoulder and hip.
He then pointed the gun at his own head and pulled the trigger, killing himself instantly.
The pair are understood to have been involved in an ongoing disagreement over Scipilliti's far right wing politics.
Scipilliti is understood to have issued a prior warning that "serious events" would occur in a rambling 250-page document sent to a right-wing website.
Members of the Police Investigation interrogate people inside the courthouse of Melun, near Paris
The French lawyer was one of the founders of the extremist Republican Resistance movement, which blamed migrants, and especially those from Muslim backgrounds, for France's 'decline'.
Scipilliti had been allowed into the court building without having to go through metal detectors, or to be searched, because of his status as a senior barrister.
Mr Vannier was said to be in a critical but stable condition after being taken to a hospital in nearby Creteil.
Christiane Taubira, the French justice minister, described the shootings as "absolutely dreadful".
He said it was a "terrible attack" which had come straight out of the blue.
French Deputy Prosecutor of Melun Daniel Atzenhoffer speaks to media
In 2008 Mr Vannier became the youngest Bar chairman in France. The position involves overseeing disputes between lawyers, and investigating claims of malpractice.
France - and in particular Paris - has been rocked by tensions between communities in recent years.
Joseph Scipilliti was reportedly due to be suspended by Henrique Vannier
Riots and unrest have plagued the largely working class and immigrant communities of the French capital's suburbs.
The country has also been hit by terror attacks, including the shooting of several journalists at the Charlie Hebdo magazine.
In a separate attack, a French factory owner was beheaded by a man with links to the Islamic State terror group.