Authorities identify suspect in Maryland newsroom shooting by using facial recognition
Authorities have identified the alleged gunman in the Maryland newsroom attack by using facial recognition, a law enforcement source told ABC News.
A law enforcement source initially told ABC News that the alleged gunman had mutilated his fingers in an apparent attempt to avoid being identified but later clarified that statement.
The gunman did not have a wallet on him and did not cooperate with authorities during an initial interview, according to the Anne Arundel Police Department.
Five people were killed and two injured Thursday after the gunman allegedly fired in at employees inside the office building of the Capital Gazette, a local daily newspaper in Annapolis.
The assailant is a white male in his 30s, Anne Arundel Police Department Deputy Chief Bill Krampf said in a news conference Thursday evening.
The police department did not release his identify, but law enforcement sources identified the alleged shooter to ABC News as Laurel, Maryland, resident Jarrod Ramos.
He was not carrying a wallet or identification and initially did not cooperate with authorities, officials told ABC News.
Investigators have not confirmed whether he had a connection to the newspaper, Krampf said.
Krampf described the shooting a “targeted attack,” and said the gunman “looked for his victims as he walked through the lower level” of the office building where the newsroom is located.
“This person was prepared today to come in,” he said. “This person was prepared to shot people. His intent was to cause harm.”
It is unclear if he knew employees or if he was just targeting the business “in general,” Krampf said.
Investigators are now securing the gunman’s Maryland residence, Krampf said.
The gunman shot through a glass door and into the office, Phil Davis, a courts and crime reporter for the Capital Gazette, tweeted.
Police arrived to the scene within about one minute and took him into custody.
There was no gunfire exchanged between the suspect and police.
Davis tweeted that he hid under his desk as the gunman opened fire on employees, at one point stopping to reload.
There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload
— Phil Davis (@PhilDavis_CG) June 28, 2018
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story stated that law enforcement sources said the suspect had mutilated his fingers in an apparent attempt to avoid recognition. A law enforcement source clarified that statement, saying that it was actually a problem with the machine that made it difficult for his fingerprint to be read. The story has been corrected to reflect that change.
