WASHINGTON: Several people were reported killed Thursday at a shooting at the offices of the Capital Gazette, a daily newspaper published in Annapolis, the capital of Maryland state.
An unknown number of others were "gravely wounded" in the shooting.
The gunman, a white, adult male, was in custody and was being interrogated, said Steve Schuh, the county executive. A law enforcement source the suspect initially refused to cooperate. That source said a shotgun was used in the shooting.
The injured were transferred to Anne Arundel Medical Center and the Johns Hopkins Shock Trauma Center.
Pol Lt Ryan Frashure, a police spokesman, told reporters police were "making sure there's no other people that are suspects or helped the individual" and were combing the four-story office building for bombs.
"We're doing our very best to get the building secure," he added.
Phil Davis, a reporter at the newspaper, said on Twitter that a "gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees."
"There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload," he wrote.
Davis tweeted right after the shooting.
"A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead," he reported.
A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead.
— Phil Davis (@PhilDavis_CG) June 28, 2018
Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees. Can't say much more and don't want to declare anyone dead, but it's bad.
— Phil Davis (@PhilDavis_CG) June 28, 2018
Anthony Messenger, a summer intern at the newspaper, wrote on Twitter at 2:43 p.m.: "Active shooter 888 Bestgate please help us."
Anne Arundel police confirmed that the building had been evacuated and that officers were searching it.
Aerial video showed a heavy police presence, as well as lines of people with their arms up in the air walking from the area.
Mayor Gavin Buckley of Annapolis sent "love and thoughts to all the families who've been affected by this" and commended the first responders. "This is what we train for."
First responders had recently run through an active-shooter training, he said. "We did not expect something like this to happen in our community, but we were ready."
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said that he was "absolutely devastated to learn of this tragedy."
US President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he had been briefed on the shooting. "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," he said.
Prior to departing Wisconsin, I was briefed on the shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. 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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2018
The Capital Gazette's website directory lists 55 newsroom and business-side employees. Capital Gazette Communications publishes a daily newspaper, as well as a website and other papers serving other local areas. It is owned by The Baltimore Sun Media Group.
Renee Mutchnik, a spokeswoman for the Sun, said "we believe there are some injuries" but she did not immediately know how many.
The company, one of the oldest publishers in the country, was founded in 1727, according to its website.
