‘TERRIFYING’
REPORTERS COVER OWN CARNAGE AS GUNMAN SLAUGHTERS AT LEAST 5 IN MARYLAND NEWSROOM
Reporters at the Maryland newspaper attacked yesterday by a gunman — who threw smoke grenades and opened up with a shotgun, killing at least five and gravely wounding others — began telling the story of the terror unfolding in their newsroom while it was happening.
The Capital Gazette website carried the headline, “Shooting reported at Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, staff say” minutes after police confirmed the shooting.
A law enforcement official said last night the suspect in the shooting has been identified as Jarrod W. Ramos. Police said the shotgun rampage at the Capital Gazette followed social media threats directed at the newspaper.
The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to share details.
Police have said the shooter killed five people and wounded others Thursday. Authorities said the man entered the building in a targeted attack and “looked for his victims.”
Anne Arundel County Police spokesman Lt. Ryan Frashure identified the victims at a news conference last night as: Wendi Winters, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Rebecca Smith and Rob Hiaasen.
The Associated Press reported Winters was the special publications editor; McNamara was a writer; Fischman was editorial page editor; Smith was a sales assistant; and Hiaasen was an assistant editor and columnist as well the brother of author and former Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen.
Authorities said the suspect threw smoke canisters as he entered the building and began shooting people on the first floor.
Capital Gazette intern Anthony Messenger tweeted at 2:43 p.m., “Active shooter 888 Bestgate please help us.”
Phil Davis, a reporter who covers courts and crime, tweeted that the gunman shot out the glass door to the office and fired into the newsroom, sending people scrambling for cover under desks.
“A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead,” he tweeted after he had made it to safety.
According to CapitalGazette.com, Anne Arundel County police initially confirmed about 3:15 p.m. that they were responding to an active shooter at 888 Bestgate Road, where the newspaper’s offices are located.
Frashure said officers raced to the scene, arriving in about a minute, and took the gunman into custody without an exchange of gunfire.
In an interview posted on the Capital Gazette’s online site, Davis said it “was like a war zone” inside the newspaper’s offices — a situation that would be “hard to describe for a while.”
But reporter Chase Cook tweeted, “I can tell you this: We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow.”
About 170 people in all were evacuated from the building as a multitude of police cars and other emergency vehicles converged on the scene. People could be seen leaving the building with their hands up.
Anne Arundel County Acting police Chief William Krampf confirmed five deaths last night and said several others were gravely hurt. At least two hospitals said they received three patients, two of them with minor injuries not caused by gunshots.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded to the scene.
The Chicago-based publishing company for the Capital Gazette says it is “deeply saddened” by the attack on its Maryland newspaper.
Justin Dearborn, chairman and CEO of Tronc Inc., said in a statement, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.” Dearborn said the company is focused on providing its newspaper employees and their families with support during what it called a “tragic time.”
The newspaper is part of Capital Gazette Communications, which also publishes the Maryland Gazette and CapitalGazette.com.
Meredith Newman, a health reporter for delawareonline, said she is a working journalist because of the Capital Gazette. She tweeted: “Since a lot of folks are hearing about the Capital Gazette for the first time: It’s a scrappy newsroom made up of reporters who are constantly keeping elected officials accountable and telling stories of those in the community.”
President Trump tweeted, “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders who are currently on the scene.”