Five people were killed and others were injured in a shooting at the Annapolis, Maryland newspaper the Capital Gazette on Thursday, according to police.
“There are five fatalities that we know of,” acting Anne Arundel County Police Chief William Krampf told reporters. “There are several other persons that are gravely injured.”
“We did recover what we thought may have been an explosive device that has been taken care of,” Krampf said at a later briefing.
County Executive Steve Schuh told reporters that the shooter was in custody and was being interrogated. Multiple outlets reported that the suspect was a white man.
Earlier on Thursday, Phil Davis, a reporter for the Capital Gazette, said multiple people in his office had been killed.
A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead.
— Phil Davis (@PhilDavis_CG) June 28, 2018
NBC News and CBS News, citing unnamed law enforcement officials, reported that the suspected shooter had used a shotgun.
President Donald Trump responded to the shooting on Twitter:
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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2018
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he was devastated by the news:
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
Arminta Plater, a spokeswoman for a hospital near the newspaper, said two patients had arrived there but she did not know their conditions.
On TV reports, people could be seen leaving the building with their hands up, as police urged them to depart through a parking lot and officers converged.
A gas station employee near the shooting scene described a flood of police activity in the area as he sat tight inside his still-open workplace.
In a phone interview, Carlos Wallace, who works just down the street from the newspaper’s offices, estimated that “dozens of dozens” of law enforcement vehicles and ambulances had raced toward the scene with sirens blaring.
“The road is blocked off real good. It’s like dozens of dozens of emergency vehicles, police cars of all types, explosive vehicles, battering ram vehicles, all kinds of stuff,” Wallace said at about 3:50 p.m. Thursday.
The newspaper is part of Capital Gazette Communications, which also publishes the Maryland Gazette and CapitalGazette.com. It is part of the Baltimore Sun Media Group.
This post has been updated. The Associated Press contributed reporting.
