A suspect opened fire on an operation in western Maryland on Thursday, leaving three dead before the suspect and a government soldier were injured in an exchange of gunfire, authorities said. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg. The suspect then fled in a vehicle and was located by Maryland police, according to the press release. The suspect and a soldier were injured in an exchange of gunfire, the sheriff’s office said. Both were being treated for their injuries. News photos showed a large police presence, including emergency vehicles, at the scene. Smithsburg, a community of nearly 3,000 people, is located approximately 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore, not far from the Maryland-Pennsylvania line.
title: “Maryland Shots 3 Killed State Soldier Wounded " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-20” author: “Whitney Schnetzer”
A man opened fire on a business in western Maryland on Thursday, killing three people before injuring a suspect and a government soldier in an exchange of gunfire, authorities said. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg and a fourth victim was seriously injured. The suspect then fled in a vehicle and was located by Maryland police, according to the press release. The suspect and a soldier were injured in an exchange of gunfire, the sheriff’s office said. Both were being treated for their injuries. Authorities had no information on whether the suspect and the victims were employees of the company where the shooting took place, Sgt of the Sheriff’s Office. said Carly House in a press conference. News photos showed a large police presence, including emergency vehicles, at the scene. Smithsburg, a community of nearly 3,000 people, is located just west of Camp David’s presidential residence and about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore.
title: “Maryland Shots 3 Killed State Soldier Wounded " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-02” author: “John Dubois”
A man opened fire on a manufacturing plant in western Maryland on Thursday, killing three people before the suspect and a state soldier were injured in an exchange of gunfire, authorities said. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg and a fourth victim was seriously injured. The suspect then fled in a vehicle and was located by Maryland police, according to the press release. The suspect and a soldier were injured in an exchange of gunfire, the sheriff’s office said. Both were being treated for their injuries. Governor Larry Hogan, who was informed of the shooting, said the man opened fire on the soldiers before at least one officer returned fire and wounded the suspect. “The suspect shot and shot the state soldier in the shoulder, who then returned fire and shot him,” Hogan told reporters. Authorities had no information on whether the suspect and the victims were employees of the company where the shooting took place, Sgt of the Sheriff’s Office. said Carly House in a press conference. Family members of the construction workers gathered at a fire station in downtown Smithsburg on Thursday night, waiting for information about their loved ones. They refused to speak to a journalist. Several police officers remained at the scene several hours after the shooting. Police had cordoned off the road past Columbia Machine Inc. and the yellow tape blew in the air outside the business. Messages left to comment with the company were not returned immediately. Smithsburg, a community of nearly 3,000 people, is located just west of Camp David’s presidential residence and about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore. The factory was located in a sparsely populated area northeast of the city center with a church, many businesses and fields nearby. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat in Maryland, mourned the loss of life in his state so soon after other recent shootings and vowed to take action. “Today’s horrific shootings come as our state and nation have witnessed tragedy after tragedy and must stop,” he said in a statement. “We must act to address the mass shootings and the daily account of armed violence in our communities.” —— Associated Press author Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland, contributed to this report.
title: “Maryland Shots 3 Killed State Soldier Wounded " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Anthony Gallagher”
An employee opened fire on a manufacturing plant in western Maryland on Thursday, killing three of his colleagues before the suspect and a government soldier were injured in an exchange of gunfire, authorities said. Washington County Sheriff Doug Malendor said three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg and a fourth victim was seriously injured. The sheriff said in a press conference that the victims and the suspect were all employees of the facility. The suspect fled in a vehicle before authorities arrived at the scene and was spotted by Maryland police, Mullendor said. The suspect and a soldier were injured in an exchange of gunfire, according to the sheriff. Mullendor said the suspect was a 42-year-old man, but declined to be named as criminal proceedings were under way. The sheriff identified those killed in the shooting as Mark Alan Frey, 50. Charles Edward Minnick Jr., 31; and Joshua Robert Wallace, 30. Mullendor said the injured victim was Brandon Chase Michael, 42 Maryland Police Lt. Col. Bill Dofflemyer said three soldiers met the suspect’s vehicle and opened fire when soldiers stopped traffic. The soldiers returned fire, injuring the suspect. Dofflemyer said the wounded soldier was fine and that the suspect was being treated Thursday night. Authorities declined to comment on the motive. “We are still working with the sheriff’s office on what happened and why it has continued to escalate,” Doflemier told reporters. Mullendor said the suspect used a semi-automatic weapon, which was retrieved after the fight. He declined to specify the caliber or model. Family members of the construction workers gathered at a fire station in downtown Smithsburg on Thursday afternoon, waiting for information about their loved ones. They refused to speak to a journalist. Several police officers remained at the scene several hours after the shooting. Police had cordoned off the road past Columbia Machine Inc. and the yellow tape blew in the air outside the business. Messages left to comment with the company were not returned immediately. Smithsburg, a community of nearly 3,000 people, is located just west of Camp David’s presidential residence and about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore. The factory was located in a sparsely populated area northeast of the city center with a church, many businesses and fields nearby. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat in Maryland, mourned the loss of life in his state so soon after other recent shootings and vowed to take action. “Today’s horrific shootings come as our state and our nation have witnessed tragedy after tragedy, and it must stop,” he said in a statement. “We must act to address the mass shootings and the daily account of armed violence in our communities.” David Creamer, 69, is a member of the Smithburg Volunteer Fire Department and has lived in the city since 1988. He saw gunshots go off just before 3 p.m. Creamer said the last deadly shot he can remember in Smithsburg was about a decade ago. “These things do not happen here,” Creamer said. “Everyone more or less knows them all. It’s a family atmosphere. “We take care of each other.” Kramer was chatting with neighbors at a Little League game on Thursday afternoon. He was wearing a T-shirt promoting a gun rights organization. The shoot “makes me feel even stronger about it. I just feel like I need to be able to protect my family and my neighbors. “In a community like this, everyone is your neighbor,” he said. Funeral home staff member Ashley Vigrass, 29, lives less than a mile from the scene of the shooting. She was at home with her two children when her fiancée called to tell her about the shootings and urged her to keep the children indoors. “The helicopters were out,” he said. Asked if she had been shaken by the shootings, Vigrass said: “I feel we are coming from an era of desensitization.” “You feel something, but it’s the same thing you felt yesterday,” he added as he watched the Little League game. “It’s unfortunate, but you just have to make sure the kids are safe to play baseball and move on.”
Associated Press author Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland, contributed to this report.
