Maryland Massacre: Witness Captures Suspicious Persecution on Camera
Josh Rosenthal of FOX 5 spoke with a witness who captured on camera the chase between police and a suspect in a mass shooting in Maryland. The shooting, which took place at a Smithsburg manufacturing facility on Thursday afternoon, left 3 people dead and 1 injured.
SMITHSBURG, Md. – Joe Louis Esquivel, 23, of Hedgesville, WV, has been charged in connection with the shooting at Columbia Machine, Inc. on Thursday.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says Esquivel faces multiple first-degree murder charges, several second-degree murder charges, assault charges, reckless involvement and a host of other crimes.
On Thursday, the gunman killed three people at a manufacturing facility in Smithsburg, Maryland, according to authorities.
Maryland massacre: 3 dead, 1 injured after shooting at Smithsburg manufacturing facility
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that officers responded to the shooting at Columbia Machine at 12900 block of Bikle Road, near Smithsburg High and Middle Schools, around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, officers found four victims who had been shot. Three of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and the fourth victim was seriously injured, but police gave no update on the victim’s condition. Police said the three victims who died were shot inside the manufacturing facility, while the fourth victim was shot outside.
SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 5 DC YOUTUBE
Police identified the dead as Mark Alan Frey, 50, Charles Edward Minnick Jr., 31, and Joshua Robert Wallace, 30. The injured victim was identified as Brandon Chase Michael, 42.
Investigators said the suspect fled the scene before officers arrived at the scene. Maryland State soldiers, who were also responding to the shooting, encountered the Esquival vehicle in the area of Maplesville Road and Mount Aetna Road and began pursuing the suspect. The Sheriff’s Office said the suspect and an MSP agent exchanged gunshots and both were injured during the shootings. Both the police and the suspect have been taken to a local hospital for treatment. The soldier is expected to recover.
Esquivel and the victims were all employees of Columbia Machine. According to police, the suspect arrived at the facility during his normal working shift, and worked all day, before leaving the building around 2:30 p.m., to remove a gun from his car. He then re-entered the building and opened fire on the facility’s employees.
Maryland mass shooting: Police give a second update after 3 dead and 1 injured in a shooting at manufacturing facilities
Authorities provided another update Thursday night on the mass shooting at a manufacturing facility in Smithsburg, Maryland, that left three people dead and one injured.
Investigators are still working to determine the motive for the shooting.
Download the FOX 5 DC News app for breaking local news
Police said a semi-automatic pistol used in the two shootings was recovered at the scene after the incidents. The exact caliber, make, and model have not been released at this time. Additional firearms were recovered at the suspect’s home in West Virginia on Friday.
Esquivel is currently being held without bail at the Washington County Detention Center.