A man opened fire at a construction business in rural western Maryland on Thursday, killing three people and wounding a state jawan in a shootout, officials said.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that three victims were found dead and a fourth victim was seriously injured at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg.
According to the news release, the suspect then fled in a vehicle and was traced by the Maryland State Police.
The sheriff’s office said the suspect and a soldier were injured in the shootout.
Both were undergoing treatment for their injuries.
Governor Larry Hogan, who was briefed about the shooting, said the man opened fire on soldiers before at least one officer opened fire and wounded the suspect.
“The suspect opened fire and shot a state soldier in the shoulder, who then retaliated and shot him,” Hogan told reporters.
Officers were not aware whether the suspects and victims were employees of the company where the shooting took place, Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Carly Hose said at a news conference.
Family members of the producer’s employees waited for information about their loved ones at a fire station in downtown Smithsburg on Thursday evening.
He declined to speak to a journalist.
Several hours after the shooting, several law enforcement officers remained at the scene. Police had closed the road leading to Columbia Machine Inc. The facility overtakes, and yellow tape is blown in the wind outside the business.
Messages seeking comment with the company were not immediately returned.
Smithsburg, a community of about 3,000 people, is west of Camp David Presidential Retreat and about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore.
The construction facility was in a sparsely populated area to the northeast of the city center with a church, several businesses and a nearby farm.
US Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, expressed grief over the deaths in his state after other recent shootings and vowed action.
“Today’s horrific shooting follows tragedy in our state and country, and has to stop,” he said in a statement. “We must act to address the daily toll of mass shootings and gun violence on our communities.”
David Creamer, 69, is a member of Smithburg’s volunteer fire department and has lived in the city since 1988. He noticed that the alerts related to the shooting go out sometime before 3 pm.
Creamer said the last fatal shooting he can remember was in Smithsburg about a decade ago.
“This stuff doesn’t happen here,” Creamer said. “Everybody knows everyone well. There’s a family atmosphere. We take care of each other.”
Creamer was chatting with neighbors at a Little League game on Thursday evening. He wore a T-shirt promoting a gun rights organization.
Shooting “makes me feel even stronger about it. I just feel like I need to be able to protect my family and my neighbors. In a community like this, everyone is your neighbor,” he said.
Ashley Vigras, 29, a funeral home worker, lives less than a mile (kilometer) from where the shooting took place.
She was at home with her two children when her fiancé called to tell her about the shooting and urged them to keep the children indoors.
“The helicopters were out,” she said.
When asked if she was shaken by the shoot, Vigras said, “I think we come from an insensitive era.”
“You feel something, but this is what you felt yesterday,” he added while watching a Little League game. “It’s unfortunate, but you just have to make sure the kids are safe to play baseball and get moving.”
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