The Capital Gazette reporter: ‘I can tell you this: We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow’

Published 7:29 pm Thursday, June 28, 2018

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A man armed with smoke grenades and a shotgun attacked journalists at a newspaper in Maryland’s capital Thursday, killing five people before police quickly stormed the building and arrested him, police and witnesses said.

Police said the suspect was a white man in his late 30s whose shotgun rampage at The Capital Gazette followed social media threats directed at the newspaper. A law enforcement official said the suspect has been identified as Jarrod W. Ramos. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Authorities said the gunman entered the building in a targeted attack and “looked for his victims.” He had smoke grenades and fired a shotgun at his victims, according to Anne Arundel County Acting Police Chief William Krampf.

“This person was prepared today to come in, this person was prepared to shoot people. His intent was to cause harm,” Krampf said.

The victims are: Wendi Winters, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Rebecca Smith and Rob Hiaasen.

Winters was the special publications editor. McNamara was a writer. Fischman was editorial page editor. Smith was a sales assistant. Hiassen was an assistant editor and columnist.

Krampf said the gunman was a Maryland resident and search warrants were being sought for his home.Journalists at The Capital Gazette worked to cover the mass shooting that unfolded in their office and to put out a Friday paper.

Phil Davis, a reporter who covers courts and crime for the paper, tweeted that the gunman shot out the glass door to the office and fired into the newsroom, sending people scrambling for cover under desks.

The attacker had mutilated his fingers in an apparent attempt to make it harder to identify him, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Another official who also spoke on condition of anonymity said investigators identified the man using facial recognition technology.

Krampf confirmed five deaths and said two people had superficial wounds. Authorities had said earlier that several people were gravely wounded.

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said the community is grieving the attack on their community paper.

“These are the guys that come to city council meetings, have to listen to boring politicians and sit there,” Buckley said. “They don’t make a lot of money It’s just immoral that their lives should be in danger.”

Photojournalist Joshua McKerrow said he was working to cover the story with two Capital Gazette reporters and with assistance from colleagues at the Baltimore Sun, which is owned by the same company.

Reporter Chase Cook tweeted: “I can tell you this: We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow.”