An employee opened fire at a manufacturing business in rural western Maryland on Thursday, killing three co-workers before the shooter and a state trooper were wounded in a shootout, authorities said.
Sheriff Doug Mullendore of Washington county said that three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc in Smithsburg and a fourth victim was critically injured.
The sheriff said at a news conference that the victims and suspect were all employees at the facility.
The suspect fled in a vehicle before authorities arrived at the scene and was tracked down by Maryland state police, Mullendore said. The suspect and a trooper were wounded in an exchange of gunfire, according to the sheriff.
Mullendore said the suspect was a 42-year-old man but declined to release his name while criminal charges were being prepared.
The sheriff identified those killed in the shooting as Mark Alan Frey, 50; Charles Edward Minnick Jr, 31; and Joshua Robert Wallace, 30. Mullendore said the wounded victim was Brandon Chase Michael, 42.
Lt Col Bill Dofflemyer of Maryland state police said that three troopers encountered the suspect’s vehicle and that he opened fire when troopers made a traffic stop. Troopers returned fire, wounding the suspect. The wounded trooper is doing well and the suspect was being treated on Thursday night, Dofflemyer added.
Authorities declined to ascribe a motive.
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