Newspaper gunman gets 5-plus life terms

A man who killed five people at a newspaper in Maryland was sentenced on Tuesday to more than five life sentences without the possibility of parole — with 345 additional years added on to ensure he is never released from prison.

Anne Arundel County Judge Michael Wachs ordered the sentence for Jarrod Ramos, whom a jury previously found criminally responsible for killing Wendi Winters, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen and Rebecca Smith with a shotgun at the Capital Gazette’s office in June 2018.

The assault was one of the worst attacks on journalists in U.S. history.

Before announcing the sentence, the judge heard survivors and family members of the slain describe the pain and loss they have experienced. He emphasized the courage of family members who spoke.

“The defendant did not get the final say,” Wachs said. “The First Amendment and the community got the final say.”