'A targeted attack': 5 shooting victims named, all worked at Capital Gazette newspaper

A shooting at the Capital Gazette in Anne Arundel County, Maryland left five journalists dead and two others injured in what authorities are calling a "targeted attack."

Anne Arundel acting police Chief William Krampf said a man in his late 30s, identified by The Baltimore Sun as Jarrod Ramos, intentionally targeted the newspaper when he entered the building with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, looking for his victims.

"This person was prepared today to come in," Krampf told reporters. "This person was prepared to shoot people. His intent was to cause harm."

One of the victims has been identified as Rob Hiaasen, 59, who worked as a columnist and editor at the paper since 2010. His brother is Miami Herald columnist and author Carl Hiaasen, according to the Herald.

The four other victims worked at the Gazette as well: Rebecca Smith, sales assistant; Wendi Winters, an editor; Gerald Fischman, editorial page editor; and writer and editor John McNamara.

Krampf said threats were sent to the Capital Gazette over social media.

"We're trying to confirm what account that was and we're trying to confirm who sent them," he said. "To my knowledge those threats were as early as today."

Police Lt. Ryan Frashure told CNN they believe the suspect "had some type of conflict" with the paper. "We don't have any information at this point that he was targeting one individual reporter or anything like that," Frashure said.

County Executive Steven Schuh said the shooter is in custody and is being interrogated. Schuh said it could have been much "worse," had emergency crews not responded as quick as they did.

The newspaper's office is guarded only by a glass front door. The newsroom itself is mostly made up of one main room, with a few other smaller offices near the front door.

Phil Davis, a Gazette crime reporter, wrote on Twitter after the shooting that a gunman fired through the office’s glass door and hit multiple employees. He said there was one shooter, and that the gunfire left multiple dead.

“There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload,” Davis wrote on Twitter.

Davis later told the Baltimore Sun the office was "like a war zone." He said he and others were hiding under the desks — then the gunfire stopped, the newspaper reported.

"I don't know why. I don't know why he stopped," Davis said.

President Donald Trump said on Twitter he was briefed on the shooting. He says his "thoughts and prayers" are with the victims and their families.

Jimmy DeButts, the newspaper's Community News Editor and Metro Columnist, said on Twitter he's "devastated" and "heartbroken."

Josh Magness contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 28, 2018 at 2:26 PM with the headline "'A targeted attack': 5 shooting victims named, all worked at Capital Gazette newspaper."