On June 28, 2018, a
mass shooting
There is a lack of consensus on how to define a mass shooting. Most terms define a minimum of three or four victims of gun violence (not including the shooter or in an inner city) in a short period of time, although an Australian study from 20 ...
occurred at the offices of ''
The Capital
''The Capital'' (also known as ''Capital Gazette'' as its online nameplate and informally), the Sunday edition is called ''The Sunday Capital'', is a daily newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Maryland, to serve ...
'', a newspaper serving
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, United States. The gunman, Jarrod Ramos, killed five employees with a
shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
and injured two others who were trying to escape. Ramos was arrested shortly thereafter.
He pleaded guilty but not criminally responsible to 23 charges; in July 2021, a jury found him criminally responsible.
''The Capital'' had published an article in 2011 about Ramos being put on
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
for harassing an acquaintance from high school through
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
and email. Ramos, angered by the article, brought a
defamation
Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
lawsuit against the newspaper but a judge later dismissed the suit. Ramos is alleged to have sent enraged letters and messages to ''The Capital'' threatening to attack its newsroom and staff, but no legal action was taken after the threats were received.
Capital Gazette Communications, owned by
Tribune Publishing
Tribune Publishing Company (briefly Tronc, Inc.) is an American newspaper print and online media publishing company. The company, which was acquired by Alden Global Capital in May 2021, has a portfolio that includes the ''Chicago Tribune'', the ...
through its subsidiary the
Baltimore Sun Media Group
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
, publishes the daily newspapers ''The Capital'' and the ''
Maryland Gazette
''The Gazette'', founded in 1727 as ''The Maryland Gazette'', is one of the oldest newspapers in America. Its modern-day descendant, ''The Capital,'' was acquired by The Baltimore Sun Media Group in 2014. Previously, it was owned by the Capita ...
'' and the weekly ''
Crofton-West County Gazette''. At the time of the shooting, its offices were located at 888 Bestgate Road in
Parole
Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...
, an unincorporated area of
Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, whi ...
just outside Annapolis.
Incident
Around 2:34 pm (
EDT), the
Anne Arundel County Police Department
The Anne Arundel County Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, serving a population of more than 564,195 per 2015 census estimates across of jurisdiction. The Department was creat ...
reported that a shooting began, resulting in five fatalities and the wounding of several other victims.
Before the shooting, the gunman had barricaded the rear exit of the office to prevent people from escaping.
Sources reported that the weapon was a "long gun" which would later be identified as a 12-gauge
Mossberg 500
The Mossberg 500 (M500) is a series of pump action shotguns manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore ...
pump-action
shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
.
Police later said that the long gun had been purchased legally some time within the eighteen months prior to the shooting.
The gunman used the weapon to fire repeatedly after shooting out the office's glass door. Phil Davis, a courts and crime reporter at the site of the shooting for ''The Capital'', tweeted that the gunman "shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees."
Davis also described the newspapers' offices as a "war zone" after the shooting and described hearing the gunman reload.
He said the male gunman was alone.
During a pause in the shooting, survivors moved to take refuge between filing cabinets; Wendi Winters confronted the gunman, causing the pause.
Winters charged the gunman with a trash can and recycling bin, screaming at him, distracting him long enough for survivors to escape before she was shot.
[
Several injured victims were sent to the ]Anne Arundel Medical Center
The Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) is a regional health system headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. In addition to the main campus in Annapolis, the group has outpatient pavilions in Bowie, Kent Island, Odenton, Easton and Waugh Chapel.
...
for treatment. County police evacuated 170 people from the building to a reunification center set up at the nearby Westfield Annapolis
Westfield Annapolis is a shopping mall, owned by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and is located near the junction of U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 97 in Parole, near Annapolis, Maryland. As of 2022, the mall features the traditional tenants Macy's and ...
shopping center. The police reportedly had a one-minute response time, and interviewed survivors in the criminal investigations unit of the Anne Arundel County Police Department. The police discovered the suspect underneath a desk in the office, and surveillance within the office documented the incident and helped identify Ramos as the perpetrator.
An indictment was handed up on July 20, 2018, included five counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, six counts of first-degree assault, and 11 counts of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Victims
Five people were killed and two others were injured in the attack. Those killed were:
* Gerald Fischman, age 61, columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...
and editorial page
An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK) is an article written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document, often unsigned. Australian and major United States newspapers, such ...
editor for ''The Capital''
* Rob Hiaasen
Rob Hiaasen (February 9, 1959 – June 28, 2018) was an American journalist and assistant editor at ''The Capital'', a newspaper published in Annapolis, Maryland. He also taught at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalis ...
, age 59, assistant editor and weekend columnist for ''The Capital''
* John McNamara, age 56, sports reporter
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
for ''The Capital'' and editor and primary reporter for ''The Bowie Blade-News''
* Rebecca Smith, age 34, sales assistant who just started working for Capital Gazette Communications
* Wendi Winters, age 65, community beat reporter
Beat reporting, also known as specialized reporting, is a genre of journalism focused on a particular issue, sector, organization, or institution over time.
Description
Beat reporters build up a base of knowledge on and gain familiarity with th ...
and special publication editor for ''The Capital''
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journa ...
, the Capital Gazette shooting was one of two incidents in which multiple journalists were killed in the United States since the organization began compiling data in 1992. The other incident was the murders of Alison Parker and Adam Ward
On the morning of August 26, 2015, news reporter Alison Parker and photojournalist Adam Ward, both employees of CBS affiliate WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia, United States, were fatally shot while conducting a live television interview near Smith Mo ...
during a live television interview in 2015.
Perpetrator
Jarrod Warren Ramos (born December 21, 1979) was captured by police and taken into custody as a suspect, but refused to identify himself. Early reports said that the gunman mutilated his fingertips to avoid identification, but a law-enforcement official later stated that an issue with the fingerprint machine had caused the difficulties in identifying the suspect, and that his fingertips had not been mutilated. The suspect was also carrying a backpack with smoke bombs, flashbang devices, and grenades. The police later announced that the attack had been targeted specifically at Capital Gazette Communications.
In a court filing, Ramos stated he had seen five mental health professionals for at least 75 visits before the shooting, and exhibited a pattern of threats. Many of those around Ramos believed him to be a calculated, manipulative loner, who would become angry when things did not go his way, with those afflicted by him convinced he would one day hurt someone. None of Ramos's immediate family responded to requests for comment and other relatives have stated that they have not had contact with him for several years.
Previous dispute with newspaper
In 2012, Ramos sued ''The Capital'' in a defamation
Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
case he brought over a 2011 newspaper article reporting on his guilty plea for criminal harassment
Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The term ...
. After multiple appeals from Ramos, the defamation case against the newspaper was dismissed in 2015 by Prince George's County
)
, demonym = Prince Georgian
, ZIP codes = 20607–20774
, area codes = 240, 301
, founded date = April 23
, founded year = 1696
, named for = Prince George of Denmark
, leader_title = Executive
, leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrook ...
circuit court judge Maureen M. Lamasney, who ruled in favor of the paper because their reporting was based on publicly available records and Ramos had produced no evidence that the article was inaccurate. Lamasney wrote in her court opinion that Ramos's complaint was "a fundamental failure to understand what defamation law is, and more particularly, what defamation law is not".
Former ''Capital'' editor and publisher Thomas Marquardt said Ramos began harassing the staff of the newspaper after the article on him was published in 2011. In 2013, Marquardt contacted the Anne Arundel County Police Department about Ramos's behavior, but the department did not pursue the report. Marquardt also consulted the newspaper's attorneys about filing a restraining order against Ramos, and recalled telling them, "This is a guy who is going to come in and shoot us." After his lawsuit against the newspaper was dismissed, Ramos opened a Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account, which he used to attack the newspaper and taunt its owners and staff. A former FBI senior profiler speculated that Ramos was "an injustice collector", whom she described as "someone who goes through life ... collect nginjustices, real or imagined."
Ramos reportedly previously sent threatening letters to the newspaper's former attorney, to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to i ...
, and to Charles Moylan Jr., the appellate judge who had ruled against Ramos in his defamation case.
Other lawsuits
Ramos's use of the justice system as a form of attempting to get his way was seen in at least two other cases. When he was dismissed from his job at the Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of t ...
, over "suitability concerns", he sued the agency and won the case, yet was still dismissed from the agency. In 2009, a former classmate took out peace orders (used to prevent contact between people), followed by criminal harassment charges, which he lost. In an affidavit, the harassment victim wrote, "I am physically afraid of Mr. Ramos, and that he may cause me serious physical injury and/or death."
June 28, 2018, letters
On Thursday, June 28, police reported that Ramos sent letters to three people who had been involved in his defamation lawsuit, with a packet being received by ''The Capital'' former attorney that included a letter addressed to Judge Moylan, who wrote the opinion upholding the dismissal of his defamation case. In it, he wrote, "Welcome, Mr. Moylan, to your unexpected legacy: YOU should have died ... Friends forever, Jarrod W. Ramos." The letter continues; "I further certify I then did proceed to the office of respondent Capital-Gazette Communications ... with the objective of killing every person present." One of the letters thought to have been written by the suspect was published by other news sources.
Guilty plea and trial
Jarrod W. Ramos was indicted on 23 counts by Anne Arundel County prosecutors in July 2018.[Michael Levenson]
Gunman Is Found Criminally Responsible for Killing 5 at Capital Gazette
''The New York Times'' (July 15, 2021). Ramos was charged with five counts of first-degree murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...
; one count of attempted first-degree murder, for shooting at photographer Paul Gillespie; six counts of first-degree assault
An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
related to the attacks on Gillespie, staff writers Selene San Felice, Phil Davis, and Rachael Pacella, reporting intern Anthony Messenger, and sales associate Janel Cooley; and 11 counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony or violent crime. He was ordered to be held without bail after he was determined to be a flight risk and a danger to the community, and was placed on suicide watch while in custody of law enforcement.
On August 20, 2018, Ramos pleaded not guilty to all charges. On April 29, 2019, Ramos entered a plea of not guilty and not criminally responsible, and the judge ordered that he be evaluated by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. At a pretrial hearing held on October 21, 2019, the judge ruled that based on the Health Department's report, Ramos is legally sane and can be held criminally responsible for his actions and his pending trial should proceed. The following week, Ramos pleaded guilty but not responsible by reason of insanity to all 23 counts. Since he pleaded not criminally responsible, the remaining legal issue was whether Ramos is legally responsible for the multiple murders.[Brian Wittee & Michael Kunzelman]
Guilty plea in newspaper shootings; insanity hearing is next
Associated Press (October 28, 2019).
A trial date was delayed several times due to the large quantity of evidence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the reassignment of a judge.
At a two-week trial, six survivors of the shooting gave evidence, and expert witness
An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as ...
es on both sides also gave testimony.[ Expert witnesses for the defense determined that Ramos had ]autism
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
, obsessive-compulsive disorder, delusional disorder
Delusional disorder is a mental illness in which a person has delusions, but with no accompanying prominent hallucinations, thought disorder, mood disorder, or significant flattening of affect.American Psychiatric Association. (2013). ''Diagnostic ...
and narcissistic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a life-long pattern of exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration, a diminished ability or unwillingness to empathize with other ...
; expert witnesses for the prosecution agreed that Ramos had mental health conditions, including schizotypal
Schizotypal personality disorder (STPD or SPD), also known as schizotypal disorder, is a mental and behavioral disorder. DSM classification describes the disorder specifically as a personality disorder characterized by thought disorder, paran ...
and narcissistic personality disorders, but testified that he was sane at the time of the killings. A court-appointed forensic psychiatrist testified that Ramos was motivated by a fixation on revenge; that Ramos had expressed regret that he had been unable to kill everyone in the newsroom and the state's attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...
; and that Ramos had carefully planned the attack on the newspaper's office after determining that a courthouse, his initial target, was too secure.[ In July 2021, the jury found Ramos criminally responsible, rejecting Ramos's ]insanity defense
The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to an episodic psychiatric disease at the time of the cr ...
and determining that he committed the killings while mentally competent and capable of conforming his actions to the law.[
On September 28, 2021, Ramos was sentenced to five life terms plus 345 years in prison.
]
Reactions
Law enforcement in other locations
Police were also sent to the offices of ''The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'', which owns Capital Gazette Communications, as a precaution, although no threat was registered there. The New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
also deployed counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...
units to the headquarters of major news outlets in New York City as a precaution against similar attacks. The Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind t ...
took similar actions.
Political
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
was briefed on the shooting and offered his thoughts and prayers
The phrase "thoughts and prayers" is often used by officials and celebrities in the United States as a condolence after a tragic event, such as a deadly natural disaster or mass shooting. The phrase has received criticism for its repeated usag ...
by tweet. He later declined to lower US flags to half-staff
Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salu ...
, as is custom for mass shootings, despite requests from Annapolis mayor Gavin Buckley
Gavin Buckley (born 8 February 1963) is a South African-born Australian-American politician and former restaurateur who has been the mayor of Annapolis, Maryland since 2017. Born in South Africa and raised primarily in Perth, Western Australia ...
and the lowering of Maryland flags by the Governor of Maryland
The Governor of the State of Maryland is the head of government of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers ...
, Larry Hogan
Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
. On July 3, the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
was reported to have permitted the lowering of the US flags on federal buildings for the day, with the President then issuing a proclamation for the flags to be lowered nationwide until sunset on July 3.
Some commentators have called the shooting an attack on the media, and framed it alongside comments by Trump that the "fake news
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in reality ...
media" (''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
, CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, NBC News
NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...
) are the "enemy of the people
The term enemy of the people or enemy of the nation, is a designation for the political or class opponents of the subgroup in power within a larger group. The term implies that by opposing the ruling subgroup, the "enemies" in question are ac ...
". A Reuters journalist apologized for his comments blaming Trump. Reuters said it did not condone his behavior. The Sunday after the shooting, the staff of the Capital Gazette wrote: "We won't forget being called an enemy of the people."
Days before, right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos
Milo Yiannopoulos (; born Milo Hanrahan, 18 October 1984), who has also published as Milo Andreas Wagner and the mononym Milo, is a British alt-right political commentator. His speeches and writings often ridicule Islam, feminism, social justi ...
wrote that he "can't wait for vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight" in text messages to reporters. After the shooting, Yiannopoulos said the texts were just a joke.
On Reason.com, Elizabeth Nolan Brown criticized the media response to the shooting, pointing out that " amos'motive doesn't seem related to any of the political agendas offered up in the immediate aftermath by hacks
Hacks may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Hacks'' (1997 film), a 1997 American comedy film
* ''Hacks'' (2002 film), a 2002 independent American film
* '' Hacks: The Inside Story'', a book by Donna Brazile
* ''Hacks'' (TV series), ...
and provocateurs", and that the shooter's anger against the newspaper derived from a personal grudge rather than political motivations. Similarly, the Franklin '' Daily Journal'' wrote "the shooting had nothing to do with Trump or his ongoing battle with the press ... the crisis in Maryland allowed people to criticize political opponents who had nothing to do with the actual events."
Governor Hogan tweeted that he was " solutely devastated to learn of this tragedy in Annapolis", and asked residents to "heed all warnings and stay away from the area." In a press conference, he praised local law enforcement for responding within 60 seconds.
In March and April 2019, the Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamb ...
voted unanimously to designate June 28 "Freedom of the Press Day" in honor of the victims.
Journalism
After the shooting, Justin Dearborn, the chairman and CEO of Tronc, said: "We are focused now on providing our employees and their families with support during this tragic time. We commend the police and first responders for their quick response." The owner of the Capital Gazette created a fund for the families, victims, and survivors of the shooting, in addition to a scholarship memorial fund for journalism students. A separate GoFundMe
GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the b ...
fundraiser, created by a Bloomberg Government
Bloomberg Government is a division of Bloomberg Industry Group that provides data-driven decision tools, news, and analytics in a digital workspace for professionals who influence government action.
History
Bloomberg Government launched in 2011 a ...
reporter, hit the initial target and has grown to almost $200,000 by July 1.
Reporters for ''The Capital'' and ''Gazette'' began coverage of the shooting as it happened, from the newsroom and while returning from the field. Despite the shooting, journalists and staff at ''The Capital'' insisted on putting out the next edition of their paper only hours after the fatal shootings. The edition's opinion page was left blank to commemorate the victims, with the exception of a small note stating that the staff members "are speechless."
''The Capital'' published an editorial on July 1, 2018, signed by its entire staff of reporters and editors, thanking the citizens of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County for their support following the shooting.
In December 2018, the staff of Capital Gazette Communications was selected as a recipient of ''Time'''s Person of the Year 2018, as one of "The Guardians", a collection of journalists from around the world in their fight against the "War on Truth".
On April 2, 2019, the News Leaders Association selected the staff of the Capital Gazette and ''The Baltimore Sun'' as the winners of the Al Neuharth
Allen Harold "Al" Neuharth (March 22, 1924 – April 19, 2013) was an American businessman, author, and columnist born in Eureka, South Dakota. He was the founder of ''USA Today'', The Freedom Forum, and its Newseum.
Early life
Al Neuharth was bo ...
Breaking News Reporting Award for their coverage of the shootings. The Capital Gazette staff were also named as finalists for the Burl Osborne Award for Editorial Leadership – Small, and the Visual Journalism Award – Small.
''The Capital'' was awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation on April 15, 2019, to "honor the journalists, staff and editorial board of the Capital Gazette, Annapolis, Maryland, for their courageous response to the largest killing of journalists in U.S. history in their newsroom on June 28, 2018, and for demonstrating unflagging commitment to covering the news and serving their community at a time of unspeakable grief." The citation also included a $100,000 bequest "to further the newspaper's journalistic mission", and the editorial staff were named as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing.
Vigils and memorials
Colleagues, friends, and family members of the deceased victims held a candlelit vigil on the streets of Annapolis on June 29, to honor the deceased. Capital Gazette reporter Phil Davis read the names of the deceased, and told the crowds that they were here "to honor who (the victims) were and what their families did not have to go through."
Annapolis mayor Gavin Buckley
Gavin Buckley (born 8 February 1963) is a South African-born Australian-American politician and former restaurateur who has been the mayor of Annapolis, Maryland since 2017. Born in South Africa and raised primarily in Perth, Western Australia ...
announced that the city planned to hold a summer music festival that will act as a celebration of the freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...
and as a memorial for the journalists who were killed. The concert was held on July 28, 2018, under the title ''Annapolis Rising: A Benefit for The Capital Gazette and Free Press''. The event featured performances by the rock bands Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of twin brothers Joel Madden (lead vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar and vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (g ...
and Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Matt Yonker (drums), Buddy Schaub (trombone), and Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxoph ...
, a presentation by comedian Jordan Klepper
Jordan Klepper (born March 9, 1979) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, television host, and actor. He began his career as a member of The Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade. From 2014 to 2017, he was a corre ...
, and a speech by ''Washington Post'' editor-in-chief Martin Baron
Martin Baron (born October 24, 1954) is an American journalist who was editor of ''The Washington Post'' from December 31, 2012, until his retirement on February 28, 2021. He was previously the editor of ''The Boston Globe'' from 2001 to 2012.
Ba ...
. Proceeds from this event will be used to benefit a fund established for the victims and survivors, as well as journalism scholarships.
In July 2018, the equipment manager of the Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
, the 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
champions, brought the Stanley Cup to the Capital Gazette's temporary office to boost the employees' morale.
In December 2020, Wendi Winters, who rushed the shooter and was credited with saving the lives of her colleagues by allowing them time to escape, was posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.[
]
Physical memorial sites
Nearly one year after the shooting, Tribune Publishing Chairman David Dreier
David Timothy Dreier OAE (/ draɪər/; born July 5, 1952) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California from 1981 to 2013. He was one ...
established the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation (FJM Foundation), which aims to construct a memorial in Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
to honor journalists who have died in pursuit of the truth. Congress unanimously passed the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act in December 2020. In the same month, President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
signed the act into law, authorizing the FJM Foundation to establish a commemorative work honoring fallen journalists.
A memorial to the five murdered Capital Gazette staffers, entitled ''Guardians of the First Amendment'', was unveiled in Newman Park in Annapolis on June 28, 2021, the third anniversary of the shooting. It consists of five pillars and a stone with an engraving of the text of the First Amendment.[Maryland to award $300K for newspaper shooting memorial]
Associated Press (June 25, 2020).
See also
* ''Charlie Hebdo'' shooting
* Aberdeen, Maryland shooting
* Mass shootings in the United States
Mass shootings are incidents involving multiple victims of Gun violence in the United States, firearm-related violence. Definitions vary, with no single, broadly accepted definition. One definition is an act of public firearm violence—excludi ...
* List of journalists killed in the United States
Numerous journalists have been murdered or killed in the United States while reporting, covering a military conflict, or because of their status as a journalist. At least 39 of these have been directly targeted as a result of their journalistic i ...
* Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation
References
{{Reflist
External links
''Jarrod W. Ramos v. Eric Thomas Hartley, et al.''
Unreported in the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, No. 2281, September Term, 2013
NPR Podcast episode 1: Capital Gazette: "A Damn Paper"
NPR Podcast episode 2: Capital Gazette: "It's OK That We're Alive"
NPR Podcast episode 3: Capital Gazette: "I Know He Did It"
NPR Podcast episode 4: Capital Gazette: "We Are The Newsroom"
2018 in Maryland
2018 mass shootings in the United States
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Attacks on buildings and structures in the United States
Workplace violence in the United States
Deaths by firearm in Maryland
June 2018 crimes in the United States
Journalists killed in the United States
Mass shootings in Maryland
Mass shootings in the United States
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Attacks in the United States in 2018