UPDATE: Five dead after shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis; victims identified.
Police are continuing to investigate what they now say was a targeted attack, when a gunman opened fire on employees at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis Thursday.
Police say five people are dead and two injured. Authorities released the names of those victims shortly after 10 PM this evening during a press conference. They are (from left to right)–Robert Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, and Wendy Winters. All employees at the Capital Gazette.
According to police around 2:30 PM, that's when chaos broke out, the suspect entering the bottom floor of the building with a shotgun and opening fire.
The suspect is identified as Jarrod Warren Ramos, a man who apparently had a grudge with the capital Gazette filing a defamation lawsuit against the paper in 2012 that was eventually dismissed.
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Authorities say they recovered what they believe to be an explosive device at the scene of the Capital Gazette shooting, in Annapolis. The shooter is currently in custody.
Around 5:30 PM, Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Shuh says first responders responded to the scene of the shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in under a minute. Five people were killed and a several other were injured as a result of the incident. Authorities say the building is tactically secure and they have recovered what they believe is an explosive device.
The area around the Annapolis Mall and Bestgate Road, specifically between Generals Highway and Admiral Drive, will be closed into the evening hours as the investigation continues. The public is urged to avoid the area.
Law enforcement describes the weapon used in the shooting as a "long gun."
This is an ongoing investigation. More updates will be released in a 8:00 PM briefing.
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A U.S. official briefed on the investigation has identified the suspect in a shooting at a Maryland newspaper as a white male who is believed to have carried a shotgun.
The official told The Associated Press on Thursday that the suspect is not cooperating with investigators.
The official wasn't authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
This is an Associated Press (AP) report. (Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Los Angeles contributed to this report)
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Authorities are still evacuating the building as they report that five people died as a result of a shooting at a Maryland Newspaper.
On Thursday, Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Shuh reported that five people died and several others were injure after a shooting happened at the building that houses the Capital Gazette, in Annapolis.
According to the Associated Press, the Spokesperson for the City of Annapolis says one shooter is in custody on Thursday afternoon.
Capital Gazette Reporter Phil Davis tweeted his "terrifying" account of the shooting:
This is an ongoing investigation.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Authorities are on scene of a reported shooting at the Capital Gazette, in Maryland.
ABC News reports that the ATF Baltimore division is responding to a shooting incident at the Capital Gazette, in Annapolis. WJLA, the Washington, DC ABC affiliate, reports a large police presence in the 800 block of Bestgate Road.
Capital Gazette Reporter Phil Davis reported that multiple people had been shot. Authorities have not confirmed the number of shootings. According to Anne Arundel Police, the building has been evacuated and officers are continuing to search the building.
Below are tweets from Phil Davis of the Capital Gazette regarding the shooting:
It is unclear if other offices are housed in that building. The newspaper is apparently owned by The Baltimore Sun.
This is an ongoing investigation.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
