Journalists targeted in Annapolis shooting
July 5, 2018
Last week, Jarrod W. Ramos killed five employees and injured others at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland.
The victims were Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, Rebecca Smith, John McNamara and Rob Hiaasen.
In 2011, Ramos disputed an article concerning him and a criminal harassment charge written by reporter Thomas Marquardt. A legal battle ensued but was eventually thrown out, because Ramos had no real case against the newspaper.
Police have said that this previous incident paired with threats made on social media about the paper prove that Ramos targeted the Capital Gazette specifically. The suspect entered the office building around 2:30 p.m. on June 28. Using a shotgun, he then proceeded to open fire on the newsroom.
Police entered the building soon after and took Ramos into custody without incident. Afterwards, everyone else in the office building was escorted to safety.
Survivors of the shooting wasted no time getting the story out. The following day, “5 shot dead at The Capital” was the headline covering the front page of The Capitol newspaper. A vigil was held for the five victims of the shooting where attendees held candles and sang hymns.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first targeted attack against journalists.
In 2015, WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were shot dead on live television. Vicki Gardner, the woman being interviewed, was also shot but survived the event.
The shooter, Vester Lee Flanagan II, who went by Bryce Williams on-air, was fired from WDBJ in 2013 for disruptive behavior. Flanagan tried to sue the news station for racial discrimination, but the case was thrown out. After an attempt to escape the area failed, Flanagan committed suicide by handgun rather than being apprehended.
On Tuesday, President Trump offered his condolences to the victims of the shooting and called for all US flags to be flown at half-staff. “Our Nation shares the sorrow of those affected by the shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland,” he said in a statement released from the White House.