Maryland newspaper shooting: All you need to know about Capital Gazette, victims and suspect

At least five people were killed on Thursday when a gunman opened fire inside the offices of the Capital Gazette, a newspaper published in Annapolis, the capital of Maryland 

The suspect who has now been arrested, fired through a glass door, looked for victims and then sprayed the newsroom of the Capital Gazette newspaper group in Annapolis with gunfire, police and a witness said.

“This was a targeted attack on the Capital Gazette,” said Anne Arundel County Deputy Police Chief William Krampf.

Bill Krampf said that police did not yet know the shooter's motive, but "we know that there were threats sent to the Gazette through social media.

Here's all you need to know

► About Gunman

The suspect is identified as 38-year-old Jarrod Ramos.

The suspect used 'smoke grenades' in his assault on the Capital Gazette building at 888 Bestgate Road at about 2:40 pm.

In 2012, Ramos brought a defamation lawsuit against Eric Hartley, formerly a staff writer and columnist with The Capital, and Thomas Marquardt, then editor and publisher of The Capital, according to a court filing.

In 2015, Maryland’s second-highest court upheld a ruling in favor of the Capital Gazette and a former reporter who were accused by Ramos of defamation.

The article reportedly contended that Ramos had harassed a woman on Facebook and that he had pleaded guilty to criminal harassment. 

(Jarrod Ramos is seen in this 2013 Anne Arundel Police Department booking photo obtained from social media.)

► Who are the victims

Capital Gazette assistant editor Rob Hiaasen. A former feature writer for The Baltimore Sun who joined the Capital Gazette in 2010

Wendy Winters (65): A community correspondent who headed special publications

Gerald Fischman (61): The editorial page editor

John McNamara (56): A staff writer who had covered high school, college and professional sports for decades

Rebecca Smith (34): A sales assistant hired in November.

► The show must go on

The Annapolis newspaper The Capital, part of the Gazette group, published an edition on Friday with photographs of each of the victims along with "5 shot dead at The Capital" as a headline in large bold lettering on its front page.

pic.twitter.com/dEiIgEd15K

— Capital Gazette (@capgaznews) June 29, 2018

Capital Gazette editor Jimmy DeButts tweeted that he was "devastated & heartbroken. Numb."

"I'm in no position to speak, just know @capgaznews reporters & editors give all they have every day. There are no 40 hour weeks, no big paydays - just a passion for telling stories from our community," DeButts wrote.

► About Capital Gazette 

Capital Gazette runs multiple newspapers out of its Annapolis office and the group includes one of the oldest newspapers in the United States, the Gazette, which traces its origins back to 1727.

 In 1767 Anne Catharine Green became the first female newspaper publisher in the country and the newspaper fought the dreaded stamp tax that started the American Revolution.

The Evening Capital was founded by William Abbott in 1884 as a newspaper serving Annapolis. Abbott purchased the Maryland Gazette shortly before World War I.

Until 1955, the Maryland Gazette was a weekly covering all of Anne Arundel County, with The Evening Capital serving as Annapolis' daily newspaper. Since 1955, the Maryland Gazette has covered northern Anne Arundel County, becoming a twice-weekly publication in 1969.

The Evening Capital became The Capital in 1981. The Sunday Capital was launched in 1987 shortly after the company moved into offices at 2000 Capital Drive in Annapolis.

Landmark sold Capital Gazette Communications to the Baltimore Sun Media Group on May 1, 2014. BSMG is a tronc, Inc. company.

On Sept. 8, 2014, Capital Gazette Communications moved from Capital Drive to offices at 888 Bestgate Road, Suite 104, Annapolis, MD 21401.

► Media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Deeply disturbed to learn that a shooting at the Capital Gazette, had resulted in the death of five people.

"Is what happened in the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, the equivalent of the Charlie Hebdo killing or of the last bombing against journalists in Kabul?" said RSF Secretary general Christophe Deloire.
In any case, this is a new tragedy for journalism, which is the victim of increasing violence globally, even in democracies, he said.

► President Donald Trump briefed

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said that U.S. President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting.

"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," Trump said in a tweet.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Twitter, "A violent attack on innocent journalists doing their job is an attack on every American."

(With inputs from agencies and Capital Gazette)