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. (More Sri Lanka stories.)