Authorities said Thursday that a shooting at the offices of Annapolis, Maryland’s Capital Gazette newspaper led to at least five fatalities.
Maryland governor Larry Hogan told reporters during a press conference that there were “several fatalities” stemming from the incident. During the conference, Bill Krampf, acting chief of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, said, “We do have fatalities and we do have serious injuries.”
A suspect in the shooting has been taken into custody.
CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang reported that the suspect has no identification on him, and refuses to identify himself to police. Jiang reported that the suspect is a white man in his 20s.
Latest on #CapitalGazette shooter from @CBSNews team: Suspect has no ID on him and is refusing to identify himself to police. He’s a white man in his 20s.
– Weijia Jiang (@weijia) June 28, 2018
Citing law enforcement sources, CNN reported that the suspect’s fingerprints appeared to have been altered.
Krampf also told reporters Thursday that responders had recovered what they thought might have been an explosive device, which has “been taken care of.”
In an evening press conference, police said that the shooting was a targeted attack, and that the suspect had smoke grenades.
Police also said that threats had been made toward the paper over social media, and that law enforcement is trying to determine who sent them.
“We have friends at the Capital newspaper” Krampf added. “We’re here, we’re invested; we’re gonna get this investigation right.”
Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were responding. The Capital Gazette is owned by the Baltimore Sun. A Sun reporter, Kevin Rector, posted an article on the Gazette website confirming the shooting.
“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,” tweeted Gazette reporter Phil Davis. “There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.”
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.
— Phil Davis (@PDavis_LLC) June 28, 2018
There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload
— Phil Davis (@PDavis_LLC) June 28, 2018
The news first began to make its way onto the Internet after an intern for the paper, Anthony Messenger, tweeted about an active shooter.
“please help us,” he wrote.
Active shooter 888 Bestgate please help us
— Anthony Messenger (@anthonydmess) June 28, 2018
The shooting is the deadliest attack against a media company since Islamic extremists killed 12 at the offices of the satirical Charlie Hebdo newspaper in France in January 2015.
“Absolutely devastated to learn of this tragedy in Annapolis,” said the state’s governor Larry Hogan. “Please, heed all warnings and stay away from the area. Praying for those at the scene and for our community.”
Absolutely devastated to learn of this tragedy in Annapolis. I am in contact with County Executive Steve Schuh, and @MDSP is on the scene assisting @AACOPD. Please, heed all warnings and stay away from the area. Praying for those at the scene and for our community. https://t.co/bI6PdUjHfh
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) June 28, 2018