As it happenedended

Maryland mass shooting - live: Suspect charged with murder in Smithsburg manufacturing facility shooting

The suspect has been taken into custody

Graeme Massie,Alisha Rahaman Sarkar,Maroosha Muzaffar

Saturday 11 June 2022 20:18 BST

Three dead and one critically wounded in Maryland mass shooting

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A 23-year-old suspect was named by officials and charged on several counts, including murder, after a shooting at a manufacturing facility in Smithsburg, Maryland led to three deaths and one person getting injured.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the death toll after violence broke out at Columbia Machine on Thursday afternoon.

The suspect was shot and injured during a confrontation with a Maryland State Police trooper, the sheriff’s office said. The trooper was shot in the shoulder but returned fire, hitting the shooter who was later hospitalised.

Authorities said on Friday that the suspect — a 23-year-old Hispanic male who was also an employee at the facility — has been charged with dozens of felonies, including murder.

According to the Washington County Sheriff’s office, Joe Louis Esquivel, 23, of Hedgesville, WV, has been charged with murder, attempted murder, assault and weapons charges in connection with the Smithsburg shooting.

The suspect, police said, used a semi-automatic handgun, however, the exact calibre, make and model have not been released.

“The motive for the shooting is still under investigation and there remains no active threat to the community,” the sheriff’s office said.

West Virginia man charged with killing three co-workers

A suspect in the Maryland factory mass shooting that led to three deaths has been identified as a 23-year-man from West Virginia and has been booked under a number of charges, said officials.

Washington County sheriff’s office released the name of the alleged shooter on Friday.

Police said Joe Louis Esquivel of Hedgesville, West Virginia was charged in connection to the shooting that resulted in the killing of three of his co-workers at the Columbia Machine manufacturing plant in Smithsburg, Maryland, on Thursday.

Read the full story here:

West Virginia man charged with killing three co-workers in Maryland factory

Alleged shooter charged with murder, attempted murder, assault and weapons charges

Maroosha Muzaffar11 June 2022 10:27

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