Court Hitman Dressed Up as Lawyer, Say Sri Lanka Cops

A gang leader was gunned down by a rival in Sri Lanka, but it's the unusual circumstances causing this one to make international headlines. Police say a hitman disguised himself as a lawyer, then shot Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne at close range as he was being led into a courtroom in the capital city Colombo, reports the BBC. The gunman fled the scene but was later arrested.

Police also identified a female accomplice accused of smuggling the gun into the courtroom in a hollowed-out book, which she gave to the shooter. She remains at large. The gang leader, in custody since 2023 on murder charges, was a reputed top drug dealer in the country, per the AFP. At least nine people have been fatally shot in gang violence already this year in the island nation.