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New details have emerged regarding the fatal Maryland shooting that took the lives of three people and left the gunman and a state police trooper hospitalized.
Investigators said that the suspect was working a regular shift before he began shooting, according to new information released by investigators in Washington County.
Deputies responded to Columbia Machine Inc. on Bikle Road at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 9 in Smithsburg, where they found four victims, three of whom were pronounced dead at the scene, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. The fourth was initially listed in critical condition.
The investigation into the shooting determined that the gunman - a 23-year-old West Virginia man whose name still has not been released pending his charges being announced - revealed that the suspect arrived for his normal work shift at the manufacturing plant and worked throughout the day.
Before the 911 call, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said that the shooter exited the building, retrieved a weapon from his vehicle, and reentered the building. He then proceeded to the area of the break room and began to fire upon employees.
The suspect then left the scene in a bronze Mitsubishi Eclipse, which was quickly encountered by Maryland State Police in the area of Mapleville Road and Mount Aetna Road, at which point a shootout ensued.
Both the suspect and troopers exchanged gunfire, authorities said, with a trooper suffering a gunshot wound to his shoulder. He was treated at an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
On Friday, June 10, investigators identified the victims, Joshua Wallace, 30, Mark Alan Frey, 50, and Charles Edward Minnick, Jr., 31, who were killed. Brandon Chase Michael, 42, remains hospitalized.
The shooter remains in law enforcement custody at the Meritus Medical Center
This is a developing story. Check Daily Voice for updates.
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