Three killed in Maryland shooting

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2018-09-20

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Multiple people were killed in a shooting at a Maryland distribution center Thursday morning, authorities said. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said the lone female suspect was in custody and is in critical condition at a hospital. Gahler said multiple people were killed but did not specify the number of victims in the shooting near Aberdeen. A law enforcement source said early indications are that at least five people were shot and three were killed. Harford County Executive Barry Glassman called the shooting situation a "too often occurrence," referring to gun violence across the country. Deputies were dispatched at 9:06 a.m. for a report of a shot fired near Spesutia and Perryman roads. Law enforcement officials arrived within five minutes, Gahler said. At a news conference, Gahler said the incident involved "multiple wounded and multiple fatalities" but he wouldn't specify a number, saying the incident is in the early stages of the investigation. He said a handgun was used in the incident and no shots were fired by law enforcement. The woman is believed to be the lone suspect and there is "no additional threat," the sheriff said. Officials said the incident happened at a Rite Aid distribution facility. Rite Aid spokeswoman Susan Henderson said the company has a distribution center at the location early reports indicate the shooting occurred in a building called the Liberty Support facility. She said she didn't know if the shooter was a Rite Aid employee. Henderson said products are received from manufacturers at the Rite Aid center in Harford County and sent to stores across the country. Agents from the FBI and the Baltimore office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also responding to the incident. Around noon, dozens of SWAT team members could be seen coming from the building and a Maryland State Police helicopter was at the scene. Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital in Baltimore said it has several of the victims, Gahler according to WBAL-TV. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said on Twitter that he was "closely monitoring the horrific shooting in Aberdeen." He went on, "our prayers are with all those impacted, including our first responders. The State stands ready to offer any support." Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., on Twitter called the situation "just horrific," adding, "I'm monitoring this carefully, and urge residents to stay clear of the area until further notice." Businesses and roads in the area are closed. The location is about 70 miles northeast of Washington. A man who said he was two blocks from the area told WBAL-TV that dozens of police officers arrived, jumped out of their cars and began to run. Workers at a nearby auto repair shop said they locked their doors. There are several businesses in the area that are housed in warehouses. One woman told WBAL that her mom works at a building in the area and she became worried after not immediately hearing from her. As she was on the phone with the TV station, she got a text from her mom indicating that she was okay. The incident comes after three people were killed and two others wounded in a shooting at a business park in October 2017. And in 2016, two sheriff deputies were shot and killed at a Panera restaurant in Harford County. "It was another tragic event for us in Harford County," Gahler said Thursday morning. "Unfortunately, all of us have been standing here before."