A LONE gunman shot dead five people at The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, with several others said to be badly wounded.
The shooter Jarrod Ramos has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder.
Where is The Capital Gazette?
The paper is located at 888 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, Maryland.
Annapolis, the capital of the state is just east of Washington DC.
The Gazette is a local daily newspaper owned by The Baltimore Sun Media Group.
Police confirmed the scene was an active shooter situation and that the building was being evacuated.
What happened during the shooting?
The first shots were reported at 2.40pm after the shooter entered the building and fired through a glass door into the newsroom.
According to Anne Arundel police spokesman Lt. Ryan Frashure, officers raced to the scene and were there in 60 seconds and engaged the shooter.
Bill Krampf, acting police chief of Anne Arundel County, said: “There’s five fatalities that we know of. There’s several other persons that are gravely injured.”
A Capital Gazette reporter Phil Davis tweeted: “A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead.”
In another tweet he wrote: “Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees. Can’t say much more and don’t want to declare anyone dead, but it’s bad.”
He then wrote: “There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then you hear the gunman reload.”
Davis later gave an interview to the Baltimore Sun, describing the newsroom as a “war zone” as the attack took place.
Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman said multiples fatalities have been reported.
Lt. Ryan Frashure of the Anne Arundel County Police confirmed there were “several injuries” as a result of the shooting but declined to provide further details.
The shooter was taken into custody and reports say a shotgun was used in the attack.
One patient is being treated at the University of Maryland Medical Center, a spokesperson confirmed to CBS.
The seriousness of the patient’s injuries wasn’t immediately available.
Two other local hospitals said they had not received patients.
Was there an active shooter?
Yes.
Video captured people leaving the building with their hands in the air as law enforcement swarmed the area.
Governor Larry Hogan called it a “tragic situation.”
While Ben Cardin, State Senator from Maryland, tweeted: “Devastating. My heart is with Capital Gazette and the people of Annapolis right now.
“As information continues to come in, I remain as grateful as ever for our first responders. If you’re in the area, please stay inside and stay safe.”
The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed.
Mr Trump said: “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.”
Who is Jarrod Ramos?
Police said a white male was in custody with multiple outlets naming the suspect as 38-year-old Jarrod W Ramos.
He is reported to have sued the paper in 2012 for defamation but lost the case.
It is believed to have been a targeted attack on the paper, which had recently received “violent” threats through social media.
Police said he used a pump-action shotgun in the attack, which he had bought legally about a year ago.
In a 2011 story, the Capital Gazette identified Ramos as an employee of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics with a degree in computer engineering and no previous criminal record.
Cops used facial recognition tech to identify the suspect and are now scouring his home for evidence.
The 38-year-old from Laurel, Maryland was charged on June 29 with five counts of first-degree murder, after the revenge attack in Annapolis at around 2.40pm local time.
During an initial court appearance on Friday, prosecutors said Ramos barricaded the exit door at the newspaper so his alleged victims could not escape.
Anne Arundel County Chief Timothy Altomare told reporters that Ramos has been “uncooperative” during interviews with detectives.
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Who are the victims?
The authorities have named those who were killed as:
Wendi Winters, 65, editor and community reporter
Rebecca Smith, 34, sales assistant
Robert Hiaasen, 59, assistant editor and columnist
Gerald Fischman, 61, editorial writer
John McNamara, 56, reporter and editor