Amid thehorror of Thursday’s mass shootinginside a Maryland newsroom that killed five people and “gravely” injured others, the journalists did their jobs.
Phil Davis, the crime reporterforThe Capital Gazettein Annapolis, dove for cover when the gunfire erupted after 3 p.m. Soon after,he began tweetingabout the violence in his office.
“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,” he wrote.
Soon after, the newspaperposted an article on its websiteabout the shooting in its office, which authorities estimated injured three people in addition to the fatal victims. Davis was interviewed in the article, saying the shooting “was like a war zone.”
Jimmy DeButts, an editor for the newspaper,tweeted hewas “devastated & heartbroken. Numb,” he wrote.
Praising the work of the staff, he continued, “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.”
Jose Luis Magana/AP/Shutterstock
Chase Cook, a reporter for the paper who wasn’t in the office at the time of the shooting,tweetedthat he was “devastated.”
Cook added that while there are still many unknowns about the shooting, “I can tell you this: We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow.”
The lone suspect was identified only as a white male, and he is in custody, authorities said. He is not cooperating with investigators: He has refused to identify himself and has no identification on him, and police have no information about his motive.
Police were called at about 3:15 p.m. They confronted the suspect within 60 to 90 seconds, authorities said, and apprehended the suspect without exchanging gunfire.
source: people.com
