Jury rules Capital Gazette gunman responsible
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Three years and 17 days after the mass shooting, a jury ruled Thursday that the man who killed five Capital Gazette newspapers employees was sane, and therefore criminally responsible for his crimes.
The verdict reached in less than two hours of deliberation brings closer to a conclusion the legal case stemming from the June 28, 2018, murders of Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters. Six people survived the attack, which is thought to be the deadliest attack ever on an American newsroom.
Now, Jarrod Ramos, 41, will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison. At sentencing, prosecutors are seeking at least five life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Survivors and family members of victims, some with tears in their eyes, gathered outside the courtroom to applaud prosecutors and embrace after the verdict.
Ramos pleaded guilty to all 23 counts in 2019 but pleaded not criminally responsible, Maryland’s version of an insanity plea.
Defense attorneys contended Ramos became consumed with the idea that an article published by the newspaper had ruined his life. His lawyers said he came to believe there was a vast conspiracy against him involving the courts and the newspaper.
Prosecutors said his long, meticulous planning for the attack and the manner in which he carried it out, including plans for arrest and long incarceration, proved he understood the criminality of his actions and was able to conform his behavior to the requirements of the law.