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According to authorities, an employee launched an attack at a manufacturing plant run by Columbia Machine in Smithsburg, Maryland on Thursday afternoon, killing three co-workers and gravely injuring another.
One injured was a state trooper who was involved in a gunfight with the suspect in Maryland. During a press conference on Thursday, Gov. Larry Hogan said the trooper was struck in the shoulder as he fired at and injured the suspect.
Details about the gunfire at manufacturing company in Maryland
The Washington County Sheriff's Office authorities revealed few details about the massive gunfire in Smithsburg, Maryland. Investigators are still stuck in a bind, trying to figure out why the suspect opened fire on Thursday afternoon.
The Sheriff's Office said in a statement,
"The shooting occured at the Columbia Machine. When deputies arrived, they found one person who was critically injured in the shooting as well as the three deceased victims."
According to a press release from the company in 2019, Columbia Machine is a private firm founded in 1937 that designs, manufactures, and maintains "factory automation equipment solutions for a variety of industries" in more than 100 countries.
Officials said the suspect, who was only identified as a man, left the area but was apprehended by a Maryland state trooper near Maplesville Road and Mount Aetna Road. The suspect was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Officials did not immediately disclose the shooter's and trooper's conditions.
Later on, the affected employees' Identities were revealed by the authorities. People who were struck in the shooting were Mark A. Frey, 50, Charles E. Minnick Jr., 31, and Joshua R. Wallace, 30. The man who was severely hurt in the incident is Brandon C. Michael, 42.
Senator Chris Van Hollen was shaken by the incident and mentioned,
"Today's horrific shooting comes as our state and nation have witness tragedy after tragedy and it's got to stop. We must act to address the mass shootings and the daily toll of gun violence on our communities."
The shooting in Washington County comes after weeks of horrific mass shootings that have reignited the national debate over gun control. In a mass killing in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 19 students and two instructors were brutally murdered. Ten days ago, a shooter suspected of targeting Black people opened fire at a Buffalo grocery mart, killing 10 people.
The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would raise the legal age to purchase assault rifles to 21, among other reforms targeted at reducing gun violence, but the proposal is anticipated to be blocked in the Senate.
