A 26-year-old parolee walked into the Bronx County Hall of Justice with a loaded Ruger pistol tucked in his underwear, underwent magnetometer screening and a pat-down, and wasn't caught until officers discovered the gun while subduing him during his escort out of a courtroom. As they escorted him out, Frett allegedly threatened them and tried to stop them from handcuffing him. Jamal Frett entered the courthouse at about 11:10 a.m. on September 21, according to a criminal complaint, and headed to Justice Guy Mitchell's courtroom, where he used his phone and spoke loudly enough that a court officer determined he was interrupting proceedings.
As officers tried to escort him out, Frett allegedly threatened them and tried to stop them from putting on handcuffs, saying, “Don't f–king touch me, come see me outside you want some,” per the criminal complaint as reported by the New York Post. It was only while subduing him that officers discovered the black Ruger, loaded with five rounds, hidden in his waistband. Prosecutors have since charged Frett with several counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and he was remanded after his arrest.
Two Security Checks, One Missed Weapon
The breakdown is now the subject of an internal review by the Unified Court System, which confirmed that security camera footage showed Frett walking through the courthouse's metal detectors before entering. Al Baker, an Office of Court Administration spokesperson, said Frett set off a magnetometer and was patted down; a handheld scanner did not detect a weapon at that stage, per the same account.
That gap is notable given how courthouse screening is supposed to work. The New York State Unified Court System describes screening procedures involving walk-through magnetometers, X-ray screening and searches, according to the New York State Unified Court System. The National Institute of Justice's guide discusses performance standards for walk-through metal detectors, according to the National Institute of Justice.
A Courthouse Built for Volume
The Bronx County Hall of Justice, a 775,000-square-foot complex designed by Rafael Viñoly, houses 47 courtrooms and processes thousands of visitors through its main checkpoints every day, according to Architectural Record. That volume has long shaped how screening is run there: in 2013, court administrators doubled checkpoint staffing and compressed metal detector walking distances. By 10 a.m., the number of people processed rose from 1,100 to 1,600, and administrators aimed to reduce congested lines; typically, there were no lines by 9:45 a.m., per the Bronx Times. The tension between speed and thoroughness at those same checkpoints is now central to the court system's review of how Frett got through.
Parole Status and Prior Cases
Frett was released from state prison on parole in March and told officers he wore an ankle monitor. Frett had 18 prior arrests, including 12 felony arrests, according to sources, and had appeared in court on September 8 for a pending case. He was also allegedly involved in slashing a woman on the head as she walked to a supermarket on April 30, according to sources. No attorney had been identified for him as of the Post's report.
Criminal possession of a loaded firearm outside one's home or business under Penal Law § 265.03 is a Class C violent felony carrying a mandatory minimum of 3.5 years and up to 15 years in prison, according to the New York State Senate.
Not the First Gunfire Near This Courthouse
The Bronx Hall of Justice has seen violence in its immediate vicinity before. In June, a former Mount Vernon deputy police commissioner and her husband were accused of driving their 20-year-old son to the courthouse, where he allegedly opened fire on rival gang members in broad daylight, according to USA Herald. And in February 2025, a 15-year-old was indicted for second-degree murder tied to a fatal daylight shooting outside the same courthouse in November 2024, according to Hoodline's earlier coverage. Frett's case involved a loaded weapon reaching an active courtroom, and court administrators are reviewing how he got through.
