A WOMAN stalked by the gunman who slaughtered five people at a US newspaper warned cops he would be “the next mass shooter”.
Jarrod W Ramos held a long running feud with the Capital Gazette after it exposed him as an internet pest with a conviction for harassing women over Facebook.
Chillingly, one victim told WBALTV that she had warned an ex-police officer years ago that he would the “next mass shooter”.
She added that he’s a “f***ing nut job” after he became totally fixated with her for no apparent reason.
Ramos’ harassment of the woman, one of his former high school classmates, had been the subject of a 2011 article in the Maryland paper, which would later see him sue the newspaper.
After Judge Charles Moylan laughed his lawsuit out of court, Ramos launched a hate campaign on Twitter against its reporters.
He posted his wish that the editor would kill himself and in 2015 wrote “Je suis @capgaznews!”, a chilling reference to the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris.
Ramos hadn’t tweeted since January 2016, but minutes before the shooting he posted: “F*** you, leave me alone”.
Horrifying footage shows Capital Gazette staff fleeing the newsroom massacre.
Panicked staff members are seen rushing for the lift yelling “press the button” as they run out to escape the carnage in Annapolis, Maryland.
At the end of the clip shows cops can be seen shouting “hands up” as they continue to hunt for the gunman, shortly before they arrested suspect Ramos.
The 38-year-old from Maryland was today charged with five counts of first-degree murder, NBC reported, after the revenge attack in Annapolis at around 2.40pm local time.
The rampage came seven years after the paper exposed Ramos for Facebook stalking a woman.
Ramos is due to appear for a bail hearing at 10.30 a.m local time today at Annapolis District Courthouse.
Reporters sent desperate pleas for help on Twitter as they hid under their desks while the shooter went on a murderous rampage with a shotgun and “explosives”.
Several more were injured as the attacker blasted through a glass window and chucked smoke grenades, with one reporter describing the scene as a “war zone”.
Police found the suspect under a desk, and say he mutilated his fingers in an attempt to make it harder to identify him.
Maryland shooting – what we know so far…
- Police raced to The Gazette newspaper offices in Annapolis, Maryland, after reports of an ‘active shooter’
- Cops have charged 38-year-old Jarrod W. Ramos, who had a grudge against the paper, with five counts of first degree murder
- Five people have been killed. Victims have been named as Robert Hiaasen, Wendi Winters, Rebecca Smith, Gerald Fischman and John McNamara
- Ramos was due to appear for a bail hearing at 10.30 a.m local time on Friday at Annapolis District Courthouse
- The attacker had reportedly damaged his fingers in an attempt to make it harder to identify him
- The paper had received ‘violent’ threats through social media ever since Ramos unsuccessfully tried to sue the paper for defamation in 2012
An armed police officer patrolling the scene in Maryland yesterday afternoon
He attempted to sue the paper and columnist Eric Hartley in 2012 for defamation after it published the article ‘Jarrod wants to be your friend’.
After Judge Charles Moylan laughed the case out of court, Ramos launched a hate campaign on Twitter against its reporters.
He posted his wish that the editor would kill himself and in 2015 wrote “Je suis @capgaznews!”, a chilling reference to the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris.
Ramos hadn’t tweeted since January 2016, but minutes before the shooting he posted: “F*** you, leave me alone”.
His disturbing social media history included a series of thinly veiled threats against the newspaper and the judge who had dismissed his case.
On two separate Twitter accounts he photoshopped a “Brand of Sacrifice” death symbol onto journalists and lawmakers’ faces.
One account under the user name @EricHartleyFrnd used a photo of Eric Hartley as an avatar, and another under the name of Judge Charles Moylan also imprinted the threatening symbol.
The banner picture showed the former US senator Barbara Mikulski and newspaper editor Thomas Marquardt, the other individual Ramos tried to sue from Capital Gazette Communications – also with the threatening symbol.
What is the 'Brand of Sacrifice'?
The ‘Brand of Sacrifice’ is a facet of Beserk, a dark fantasy manga series set in a Europe-inspired dark fantasy world.
The strange symbol marks ‘those for a sacrificial ceremony in which an apostle or God Hand is created’.
The sacrificed is described as ‘usually someone close and dear to the summoner, [who] is then ritualistically murdered, with the deceased’s life force used to complete the summoner’s transition into either an apostle or a member of the God Hand’.
A further one is used in the cover photo on an unidentified man, with the caption: “Everybody knows the stupid Court of Appeals are a**holes… but at least they’re pleasant a**holes”.
Cops used facial recognition tech to identify the suspect and are now scouring his home for evidence.
Aerial video footage appears to show the suspect being led from the building by police.
The suspect was arrested after SWAT and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives swarmed in on the building.
Further footage of the scene later showed people being led out of the office with their hands up.
Authorities said they also found what they believed to be an explosive device.
Anthony Messenger, an intern at The Baltimore Sun, tweeted at 2.43pm that there was an “active shooter 888 Bestgate please help us.”
Shocked reporter Phil Davis was one of the reporters led out of the building by police.
He told The Sun: “I’m a police reporter. I write about this stuff — not necessarily to this extent, but shootings and death — all the time.
“But as much as I’m going to try to articulate how traumatising it is to be hiding under your desk, you don’t know until you’re there and you feel helpless.”
Capital Gazette journalist Phil Davis was one of the reporters led out of the building by police.
He described the scene to the Baltimore Sun as “like a warzone”.
He later tweeted: “A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead.
“Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees.
He added: “There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.”
The five victims, all newspaper staff, have been named as Robert Hiaasen, 59, Wendi Winters, 65, Rebecca Smith, 34, Gerald Fischman, 61 and John McNamara, 56.
An editor at the Capital Gazette Jimmy DeButts, tweeted that he was “devastated and heartbroken” at the news.
He said: “Numb. Please stop asking for information/interviews.
“I’m in no position to speak, just know @capgaznews reporters & editors give all they have every day.
“There are no 40 hour weeks, no big paydays – just a passion for telling stories from our community.”
US President Donald Trump has tweeted his condolences to those affected by the tragedy.
He said: ” Prior to departing Wisconsin, I was briefed on the shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland.
“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.”
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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 Capital Gazette is a daily newspaper in the city of Annapolis in Maryland.
It was founded in 1884 and has more than 30,000 daily readers with a 35,000 circulation for its Sunday edition.
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