5 killed in Maryland newspaper office shooting

At least five people were killed and several others 'gravely injured' after a shootout at the Capital Gazette building, home to a daily newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland on Thursday (local time).

According to Anne Arundel County police, the people inside the newspaper office were evacuated from the building and an investigation on the same has been launched.

The police said that one person, believed to be the suspect, has been taken into custody.

Anne Arundel County Acting Police Chief William Krampf confirmed the five deaths at a conference later.

Furthermore, Anne Arundel County police Lt. Ryan Frashure said investigators are interviewing the suspect on the motive of the attack.

 

He added that the area surrounding the Capital Gazette building was now absolutely secure.

Earlier, the police said they first got the news of the incident at around 2:35 pm (local time) from 888 Bestgate Road near Westfield Annapolis Mall, where the newspaper office is situated.

Meanwhile, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has sent its officers to major news media organisations across the United States as a precautionary measure in the wake of the incident.

US President Donald Trump, who is in Wisconsin for attending a groundbreaking ceremony of the new Foxconn factory, expressed his condolences over the death of five people and thanked the "first responders" for responding to the incident quickly.

"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," Trump tweeted.

The Capital Gazette is one of America's oldest newspapers, beginning as the 'Evening Capital' in 1884. It serves Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and Kent Island, CNN reported.

The newspaper has a daily readership of about 67,000 and a Sunday readership of 83,000, according to the Baltimore Sun Group, which owns it.