Jarrod Ramos, 28, has been identified as the suspect who was arrested after today’s active shooting at the Capital Gazette Building in Annapolis, Maryland.
The shooter is alive and in custody. At this time, police have not given a motive for the shooting. He had no ID on him when he was apprehended and refused to identify himself. In an effort to prevent being identified, Ramos intentionally damaged his fingertips. Ramos reportedly had a history of harassing and abusing women.
Multiple outlets have reported that five people were killed and another 20 people were reportedly injured in the shooting. CNN reports that a law enforcement source told them that a shotgun was used in the shooting. Smoke bombs and flash bangs were found in the suspect’s backpack.
The building manager for the space the Capital Gazette is located in told Fox News that “there is no security at the building” and that “anyone can walk in.”
Those injured in the shooting were taken to the Johns Hopkins Shock Trauma center. John McNamara was identified as the first victim.
NBC News reports that Ramos had a history with the paper, filing a suit against it in 2012.
While speaking to reporters, Lieutenant Ryan Frashure asked civilians to avoid the area. The Capital Gazette building is located on the 800 block of Bestgate Road in Annapolis, Maryland.
“We are asking family and friends to meet at the Annapolis Mall if you need to meet one a friend or loved one, our reunification center has been set up inside the Lord & Taylor inside Annapolis Mall,” Lt. Frashure told reporters.
Twitter user @amesscapgaz, who is reportedly an intern at the Capital Gazette, tweeted “active shooter 888 Bestgate please help us” at 2:43 p.m. EST.
Local police and ATF agents responded to the scene. Police say first responders arrived within sixty seconds and that they found Ramos “hiding under a desk”.
https://twitter.com/amesscapgaz/status/1012406073704239105
Capital Gazette reporter Phil Davis tweeted about the incident: “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 wrote on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/PhilDavis_CG/status/1012422058972676097
Following the shooting, Sheriff Ron Bateman told reporters that “one of my deputy sheriff K9 handlers made an apprehension of a suspect.” That suspect was later identified as Ramos
The nearby Anne Arundel Medical Center put its Annapolis campus on lockdown as it deals with response to Capital Gazette shooting:
“We are not allowing visitors to the hospital at this time. We ask all employees, visitors, patients and volunteers to stay in our buildings,” they said in a statement.
Senator Ben Cardin tweeted about the shooting, saying it was ‘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.”
Police are currently investigating and interviewing witnesses.
The Capital is a daily newspaper published in Annapolis, Maryland since 1884. Its sister newspaper, The Gazette, is one of the oldest newspapers in America, its origins dating back to the early 18th century. The Capital, the Maryland Gazette and their sister publications have been printed for more than 270 years in numerous locations in and near Annapolis.
The Capital was acquired by The Baltimore Sun Media Group in 2014.
The active shooting at Capital Gazette Building the is just the latest in a string of shootings in the United States. This incident follows similar mass shootings in Parkland, Florida, Las Vegas, Nevada, Santa Fe, Texas, and many others.
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