ANNAPOLIS, Md.—A man wielding a shotgun killed five people and wounded two others at a newspaper office here in what authorities called a targeted attack Thursday afternoon.
The suspect in the shooting at the Capital Gazette was identified as Jarrod Ramos, in his late 30s, according to law-enforcement officials. Police identified him with the aid of facial-recognition technology, a law-enforcement official said.
The suspect was in custody and being interviewed by authorities late Thursday, said William Krampf, acting police chief for the Anne Arundel County Police.
Mr. Krampf said the attack followed threats of violence on social media. “This was a targeted attack on the Capital Gazette” newspaper office, Mr. Krampf said.
He said the suspect lives in Maryland and came prepared, setting off smoke grenades as he carried out the attack. Earlier, police thought he had an explosive device.
“Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees,” a reporter at the newspaper, Phil Davis, wrote on Twitter. “There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.”
Authorities were notifying families of the victims Thursday night. Rob Hiaasen, an editor at the Capital Gazette, was one of those who died, according to the Baltimore Sun, a sister publication.
More lives could have been lost had police not responded so quickly, Gov. Larry Hogan said. First responders were on the scene within 60 to 90 seconds, authorities said.
Law-enforcement officials said they deployed active-shooter training and didn’t exchange fire with the suspect.
The shooting took place in a four-story office building next to a shopping mall. Police said more than 170 people were safely evacuated from the building.
On Thursday evening, the area around the office building was roped off with yellow police tape, while dozens of police vehicles from the city and county clogged the streets and parking lots. Five helicopters circled overhead, as police let through a knot of civilian cars leaving the parking lots, which were behind the police tape.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Mr. Hogan said, speaking at the scene.
President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he was briefed on the shooting. “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,” the president said.
The Capital Gazette group, which includes the daily Capital newspaper and the twice-weekly Maryland Gazette, was acquired by the Tronc-owned Baltimore Sun Media Group in 2014. The two publications plus a small group of weekly community newspapers also owned by BSMG moved that year into the office that was the site of the shooting. About 30 editorial and sales staffers worked in that location for the various publications, a company spokeswoman said.
The daily newspaper focuses primarily on local politics, sports and community news, as well as news about the U.S. Naval Academy located just 5 miles away.
Justin Dearborn, chairman and CEO of Tronc, commended the first responders and said: “We are deeply saddened today by the attack in our Capital Gazette newsroom. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are focused now on providing our employees and their families with support during this tragic time.”
Tronc executives, who were traveling from Chicago to Annapolis, were unaware of any threats made to the newsroom or staffers prior to the shooting, a company spokeswoman said.
Authorities increased security at some news organizations after the incident. The Baltimore Police Department sent officers to the offices of the Baltimore Sun, a sister publication of the Capital Gazette. The New York Police Department deployed counterterrorism teams to media organizations in and around New York City. These deployments weren’t based on specific threat information but rather out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD said.
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