Jail inmate Larry Darnell Gordon wrested a gun from an officer, killing three people before he was shot. Photo: Michigan Department of Corrections/AP

St Joseph, Michigan: The ex-wife of the jail inmate who killed two bailiffs and wounded a sheriff's deputy and a civilian before being shot to death on Mondaysaid she believes he was trying to escape because he was desperate to see his family.

"He's not a monster," Jessica Gordon, told the Detroit Free Press.

Larry Darnell Gordon, 44, was identified late on Monday as the Berrien County Jail inmate who killed the retired police officers, and wounded the deputy and a civilian after wrestling a gun away from one of the officers while being led into court.

Berries County Sheriff Paul Bailey speaks to the media near the Berrien County Courthouse on Monday. Photo: Kalamazoo Gazette/AP

The two bailiffs were identified as retired Michigan State Police Lieutenant Joseph Zangaro and retired Benton Township Police Sargeant Ron Kienzle.

"We're asking people to pray for the families of the deceased," Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said.

Gordon was shot and killed by police following the struggle on the third floor of the courthouse, which is next to the sheriff's department and county jail, Bailey confirmed at a Monday press conference.

Sheriff's deputies work the perimetre outside the Berrien County Courthouse after the shooting. Photo: AP

Jessica Gordon said she learned of his death when she was visited by a chaplain and police. She said they were respectful and comforting.

Gordon, who was wearing a wedding ring on her left ring finger, wouldn't discuss the reason her ex-husband was in jail. She said they got divorced earlier this year, but he was very close to his 6-year-old daughter Cheyenne. She said she chose to keep his last name because it is his daughter's last name and they, as a family, had always been a team. She said they had been married 19 years.

At a news conference on Monday night, Bailey said Gordon was in custody, but "doesn't appear" to have been handcuffed when he was being escorted toward the courtroom, though he was being held on "several felony charges."

At some point on his way toward the courtroom, while still in an area closed to the public, he made his attempt to escape: he shot the deputy, shot and killed the two bailiffs, then went into "the court area" and "took several hostages" including both court employees and residents for a roughly five-minute period, according to Bailey.

"The fight took place right outside the holding cell at the courthouse as they were getting him out of the holding cell," Bailey said. "They secured the door, the inmate starting fighting with the deputy and bailiff and that's when the gun was able to be taken away. He was trying to escape and that's when he fatally wounded the two bailiffs."

He did not elaborate on the hostage situation, but said that it ended when the suspect tried to escape through a door - and moments later he was confronted by two bailiffs and was shot and killed. A woman was also non-critically injured by gunfire.

The sheriff's deputy and injured civilian are in stable condition at Lakeland Regional Hospital, Bailey said.

Bailey said two bailiffs usually transport inmates between their holding cells and the courtrooms. Bailey said investigators were reviewing camera footage to determine how Gordon was able to grab the gun.

"All the detectives are piecing that together from all the cameras we have at the courthouse," Bailey said. "That's what we're going to determine, how they were escorting him. They do it many times a day. ... Once we have more information, we'll know how he was removed from the cell and being taken into the courtroom."

Bailey said the senseless killings have stunned the close-knit community and he's personally devastated by the loss of the two bailiffs, who he has known for years. Both bailiffs were law enforcement officers for "a long time," Bailey said, and were bailiffs for the last 10 years.

"Our hearts are torn apart. They were our friends. They were my colleagues. I've known them for over 30 years, so it's a sad day. This is a great community and I've been overwhelmed with calls in Texas supporting us. It's a tragedy. You never know when something like this is going to happen."

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who was briefed about the killings before the news conference, said he travelled to Berrien County to offer his support.

"I just want to be here to support a terrible day in a wonderful community," Snyder said. "This was an awful act to have happen today. I want to reinforce the fact that we're being supportive in every way possible."

Referencing the recent killings in Dallas that left five officers dead last week, Snyder acknowledged that the past week has been "a particularly tough time for law enforcement".

"I ask that everyone reach out and try to be supportive of law enforcement across the state and across the country if possible in a difficult case like this," Snyder said. "This is a terrible event to have happen and we need to rally together to support one other. We should all be standing together."

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