3 killed, 2 wounded in shooting at Maryland machine plant; employee in custody
Three people were killed and two injured, including a state trooper, in a shooting at a machine plant in Smithsburg, Maryland, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. The suspect, an employee, was also wounded and is in custody.
Authorities responded to a reported shooting at Columbia Machine Inc. at around 2:30 p.m., the sheriff's office said in a statement on Facebook. Upon arrival, they found three people dead and one in critical condition.
During a press conference late Thursday, Sheriff Douglas Mullendore identified those killed as Charles Edward Minnick Jr., 31; Joshua Robert Wallace, 30; and Mark Alan Frey, 50.
Brandon Chase Michael, 42, was injured. They were all current employees at Columbia Machine Inc.
The suspect, who fled the scene, was located in a vehicle by Maryland State Police. He exchanged gunfire with a trooper. Both were taken to a hospital with injuries, the sheriff's office said. A semiautomatic handgun was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
Maryland State Police Lt. Cnl. Bill Dofflemyer said Thursday evening that the trooper, who was identified by Maryland State Police as a 25-year veteran of the department, is "doing well."
During a Thursday afternoon press briefing, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said the responding trooper was shot in the shoulder.
The gunman — identified by Mullendore as a 23-year-old Hispanic man from West Virginia, and a current employee of Columbia Machine Inc. — is in custody at the hospital, where he is still being treated. Charges against him are still pending.
A motive has not yet been determined.
Maryland State Police have placed the troopers involved in the shooting on administrative duty for the remainder of the investigation.
The FBI and ATF are helping with the investigation, the sheriff's office said.
Smithsburg is located more than 60 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
Andres Triay contributed reporting.
