Bio

George Douglas Lott was born on June 7, 1947. He became licensed to practice law in Texas in 1981, but his license became inactive in 1988. By 1992, he was no longer allowed to practice law. His last listed occupation was computer programmer. Before the murders, Lott had gone through a divorce and child-custody dispute. He remained angry about losing custody of his son. His anger toward the legal system became the main motive behind the courthouse shooting.

About two months before the attack, Lott bought a 9mm semi-automatic Glock handgun. On July 1, 1992, he went to the Tarrant County Courthouse in Fort Worth. He entered a fourth-floor courtroom, sat quietly in the spectator area, then suddenly stood up and opened fire.

Murder Story

The shooting happened on July 1, 1992, inside the Tarrant County Courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas. Lott entered a fourth-floor courtroom where Judges John G. Hill and Clyde Ashworth were conducting a hearing. Witnesses said he had been sitting quietly before he suddenly stood and began firing toward the bench.

Lott used a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. He later said he had a 16-round magazine and one extra round in the chamber. He fired those shots, reloaded, and fired several more times. The gunfire caused panic inside the courthouse as people dropped to the floor or locked themselves in nearby offices.

During the attack, Chris Marshall, a 41-year-old Assistant District Attorney, was killed. Judge Hill was wounded in the shoulder, Judge Ashworth was wounded in the hip, and Assistant District Attorney Steven Conder suffered a superficial chest wound.

After firing inside the courtroom, Lott fled into a stairwell. There, he shot John Edwards, a 33-year-old defense attorney. Lott later said he shot Edwards because Edwards was in his way as he tried to leave the courthouse.

Lott escaped the building and drove away in a van he had parked outside. Several hours later, he went to WFAA-TV in Dallas and turned himself in. He told officials and reporters that he had carried out the shooting because of anger over his earlier child-custody case. He also admitted wrongdoing, saying that what he had done was horrible and sinful.

Lott was charged with capital murder. Although the crime happened in Tarrant County, the case was transferred to Potter County for trial. He chose to represent himself at trial and on appeal. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals later noted that he was an inactive attorney and had been warned about the risks of self-representation.

In February 1993, Lott was convicted of capital murder for killing two people during the same criminal transaction and was sentenced to death. He refused to pursue appeals that could have delayed his execution.

George Douglas Lott was executed by lethal injection in Texas on September 20, 1994.