US newspaper offices shooting leaves five dead and several injured
AT LEAST five people were killed yesterday and several more “gravely injured” after a gunman opened fire at a newspaper office in Annapolis, Maryland.
An eyewitness said the attacker started shooting through a glass door to the newsroom at Capital Gazette Communications as reporters hid under their desks. Police arrived at the scene within 60 seconds and intercepted the gunman. There was no exchange of gunfire with officers. The attacker was a white adult male who used a gun with a “long” barrel, police confirmed. Several US media outlets reported a shotgun was used.
The suspect was taken alive and was being interrogated by police, who said he was “not forthcoming” with any motive for the attack. A law enforcement official also said the suspect had mutilated his fingers in what investigators think was an effort to prevent him from being easily identified.
A suspected bomb was found at the scene and was taken away by explosive experts. Around 170 people were safely evacuated from the building.
Witnesses inside the newsroom revealed the horror of the attack shortly after it took place. Phil Davis, a courts and crime reporter, posted a series of messages describing what he had seen. “A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead. Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees,” he said on social media.
“There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.”
Law enforcement bodies in Baltimore and New York City deployed protective forces to major media outlets as a precaution, authorities said. Donald Trump, the US president, was briefed on the incident. He was on his way back to Washington on Air Force One.
Lindsay Walters, a White House spokeswoman, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all that are affected.” Local politicians repeatedly praised the speed with which police attended, saying the death toll could have been higher had they not acted so swiftly.
Investigators worked throughout the night at the site of the shooting while witnesses were being offered mental health support.
Capital Gazette Communications publishes two newspapers, The Capital and The Maryland Gazette, and created one of the first US news websites in 1994. The Capital was founded in 1884 as the Evening Capital and now has a daily readership of 67,000.