Maryland Capital Gazette Shooter In Custody

June 28, 2018

Earlier today a gunman opened fire at the Capital Gazette in Maryland killing five and seriously injuring countless others. Police responded within a minute and a half of the shooter being reported on the premises and the shooter is currently in custody and not cooperating. The attack is considered to be the deadliest on American journalists in US History. An explosive was also found on the perpetrator. The perpetrator was a while male in his 20’s who mutilated his fingertips to avoid detection.

A member of the Capital Gazette — Phil Davis — was Tweeting his experience shortly after the attack.

A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead.

— Phil Davis (@PDavis_LLC) June 28, 2018

Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees. Can't say much more and don't want to declare anyone dead, but it's bad.

— Phil Davis (@PDavis_LLC) June 28, 2018

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 (@PDavis_LLC) June 28, 2018

I'm currently waiting to be interviewed by police, so I'm safe and no longer at the office.

— Phil Davis (@PDavis_LLC) June 28, 2018

While the suspect’s motives are yet unknown, many are afraid it could be the culmination of the president’s declaration of journalists as an enemy of the people. It comes only one day after white supremacist Milo Yiannopoulos called for people to gun down journalists on sight. Milo has since walked back the comments, but it’s clear he’s doing so because of the consequences of his actions and little else.

https://twitter.com/lukeoneil47/status/1012419184670728198

https://twitter.com/rob_bennett/status/1012425609996394496

It’s cool, guys. He was just kidding. Send all the officers and emergency crews home. Tell the families their loved ones died in Annapolis because of a solid joke! https://t.co/deMwThy0U1

— Jason Gore (@mrjasongore) June 28, 2018

New York police has called added security to many of the journalist outlets in the area in case there are copycats and further attacks on the onset as a precautionary measure.

Many journalists began sharing their own run ins with harassment from people who threatened the, for the work that they did, and other journalists are saying that the people we once called trolls have to start being taken as serious terrorist threats.

The Annapolis shooting is every journalist's worst nightmare. Like many of my colleagues, I have received death threats, and I have no illusion that this could never happen to me. I live in the U.S. The only reason I have not been shot is that nobody has yet decided to shoot me.

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 28, 2018

https://twitter.com/erinbiba/status/1012441497973772289

most journos i know work for shit pay in unstable newsrooms and deal with death threats, doxxing, and general public hostility on top of it. we shouldn't speculate about motive, but it's not a bad time to point out that American conservatives gleefully mainstreamed 'fake news'

— Sarah Jones (@onesarahjones) June 28, 2018

for non journalists reading about the Capital Gazette shooting, I wanted to share a glimpse of what a reporter’s inbox can look like.

(I recall referring the last one to our security team bc it was particularly menacing) pic.twitter.com/N2Csp6XiQK

— David Mack (@davidmackau) June 28, 2018

Milo Yiannopoulos isn't a troll. He's a terrorist. @JYSexton explains why: pic.twitter.com/huOPMZGiPQ

— Andrea Chalupa (@AndreaChalupa) June 28, 2018

Tom Marquand, an old editor for the Capital Gazette wrote on Facebook:

“I can’t even fathom with any degree of understanding what happened at my old newspaper today. The Capital, like all newspapers, angered people every day in its pursuit of the news. In my day, people protested by writing letters to the editor; today it’s through the barrel of a gun.”

We will see the government’s anti journalist rhetoric continues in light of this senseless, truly terrible tragedy.

Our thoughts are with Capital Gazette. For more, follow us at @WhatsTrending.