The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting took place around 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Columbia Machine in Smithsburg, about 75 miles from Baltimore. Police were called to the Bikle Street facility for reports of an active sniper and arrived to find three victims dead at the scene and a quarter seriously injured. The male suspect had already fled before police arrived with a description that circulated quickly to response units to try to locate the perpetrator. A Maryland police officer then met the alleged gunman in a nearby vehicle and an exchange of gunfire erupted. Both the soldier and the suspect were shot in the incident and taken to hospital for treatment. Their condition is currently unknown. The condition of the fourth victim found at the scene is also unclear. Sgt. Carly Hose gave few details about the incident in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, but tried to reassure the community that there is no longer an active threat. The sergeant said he could not give details about the identities of the victims or whether they were employees at the production facility. The identity of the suspect was also not disclosed, with the sergeant confirming that he is a man but refusing to comment on age or any other identity. He said he had no information to share at the time as to whether the gunman was working at the facility or why he might have targeted the site. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a previous press conference that state police “chased the suspect” who then opened fire on them, shooting a soldier in the shoulder. The soldier returned fire and “shot him back,” he said. The motive is currently unknown and it is not clear what kind of weapon was used in the attack. Many federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, have responded to assist with the investigation. Lawmaker David Trown, who represents the area that includes the city, wrote on Twitter earlier Thursday afternoon that he was actively monitoring the situation and urged the public to stay away from the area. “We are actively monitoring the mass shootings in #Smithsburg at the moment and our office is in contact with officials on the ground. “If you are a local, please stay away from the area as law enforcement responds,” he wrote on Twitter. Columbia Machine is a company that specializes in “mold making, spare parts and repair needs, offering full service and full cycle capabilities to keep your factory producing 24/2,” according to the company’s website. The attack marks the latest in a series of mass shootings that have ravaged communities and families across the United States in recent weeks, with lawmakers increasingly pushing to pass gun control laws. On May 14, 10 blacks were shot by a self-proclaimed white supremacist and racist at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. Just 10 days later, 19 students aged just nine to 11 and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. In both cases, the 18-year-old gunmen were able to legally purchase the AR-15s they later used in the massacres. A day before the Maryland shooting, survivors and members of the victims’ families testified before the House Oversight Committee and urged lawmakers to address the escalation of armed violence. This story is breaking. Check again for more
