Officials say that 3 people were killed in an attack at a Maryland factory facility.

Officials say that three people were killed and three others were hurt when a shooter opened fire on a Smithsburg, Maryland, manufacturing plant.

Barbara Johnston
Barbara Johnston
09 June 2022 Thursday 19:02
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Officials say that 3 people were killed in an attack at a Maryland factory facility.

Officials say that three people were killed and three others were hurt when a shooter opened fire on a Smithsburg, Maryland, manufacturing plant. One of the victims was the male suspect.

According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office the shooting occurred just after 2:30 p.m. at Columbia Machine, Smithsburg, which is about 75 miles west from Baltimore.

Authorities identified the victims as Mark Alan Frey (50), Charles Edward Minnick Jr. (31) and Joshua Robert Wallace (30) during a Thursday night news conference.

Brandon Chase Michael (40), was the fourth victim. He sustained serious injuries in the shooting. He was transported to a nearby hospital.

Sheriff Doug Mullendore said Thursday that the suspect was a male aged 23 who used a semiautomatic handgun to shoot the victim. The suspect's identity has not been released by authorities because he is not yet being charged.

Mullendore stated, "At the moment I can confirm that all victims and suspects were current employees at Columbia Machine Inc."

According to officials, though the suspect fled the scene after the shooting, Maryland State Police quickly located him a few streets down. The suspect and a state trooper shot at each other. Both were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The suspect is no threat to the community. Multiple federal agencies including the FBI, ATF and ATF have responded to local authorities' inquiries into the shooting.

Following the shooting, U.S. Rep. David Trone issued a Twitter statement stating that his office had been in contact with local authorities and was actively monitoring the situation.

Trone tweeted, "If you are local, please stay out of the area while law enforcement responds."

Our office is currently monitoring the #Smithsburg mass shooting and keeping in touch with authorities. Local residents, please avoid the area while law enforcement responds.