Summary: Maria Mitousis, a Winnipeg lawyer working at Petersen King, in critical condition after a bomb went off in the office where she worked, damaging the office and leaving her with serious upper-body injuries.
Police are unsure what the motives are behind the bomb Friday morning but Maria Mitousis, 38, was alone in the Petersen King office when it detonated. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition and is believed to be undergoing surgery. The reporting officer said that she sustained severe injuries to her upper-body.
The law office was evacuated after the explosion and no other suspicious items were found. Police are unsure of how Mitousis came into possession of the device, either through the mail, dropped off, or some other way but they don’t believe it was random. She was the only one working in the office at the time.
Mitousis has worked at Petersen King for almost a year practicing family law. She worked previously at Monk Goodwin law office in downtown Winnipeg. A suspicious package was found at the Monk Goodwin office and when the connection was made, the building was evacuated as the bomb squad was called to investigate. There are three other law firms and other businesses in the same building that were also evacuated for the second part of the day.
Mitsousis’s romantic interest had also worked at Monk Goodwin before being disbarred for misconduct. Barry Gorlick admitted to 15 counts of professional misconduct after a 2014 CBC Go Public investigation found that he had been paid to file a lawsuit for a client but never did. The news of his disbarment was also on the news Friday.
Police are unsure at this time of what the motives are, who the target was, or how the bomb was packaged and arrived into the office.
Law offices are often targeted by people that are irrationally upset. Read these other articles of attacks on law offices:
“9/11 Law Firm Terrorized by Love Affair and Wife’s Revenge”
“Suicide Driver of Flaming Truck Takes Out Law Office”
“Man Arrested for Brutal Hatchet Attack on Attorney”
Photo: cbc.ca