At least three people were killed and a state trooper was injured Thursday when a gunman opened fire at a manufacturing plant in Smithsburg, Maryland, roughly 75 miles west of Baltimore and about 15-minute drive from Camp David, authorities said. No motive was given for the shooting at Columbia Machine, a company that makes concrete molds, police said.
The gunfire erupted at about 2:30 p.m., the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said, and a fourth-victim was taken to hospital in critical condition.
Police identified the three victims as Joshua Wallace, 30; Charles Minnick, 31; and Mark Frey, 50.
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“We are deeply saddened to report that there was a shooting at our Smithsburg facility earlier today,” Columbia Machines said in a statement. “Three of our Team Members were tragically killed and one has been taken to the hospital... Our highest priority during this tragic event is the safety and wellbeing of our employees and their families.”
A Maryland State Police trooper located the 23-year-old suspect shortly after the shooting but he shot at the trooper, hitting him in the shoulder, 7News reported. The trooper returned fire and hit the suspect.
Both the suspect, who was not identified by police, and the trooper were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The shooter was later taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.
