A gunman opened fire in a targeted attack on a newspaper office in Maryland's capital on Thursday, killing five people and wounding others before being taken into custody, according to police.

Police said the suspect is a man in his late 30s whose rampage at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis followed social media threats.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press the suspect has been identified as Jarrod W. Ramos. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jarrod Ramos, suspected of killing five people at the offices of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Md., is seen in a 2013 Anne Arundel Police Department booking photo. (Social media via Reuters)

Authorities said earlier the assailant entered the building and "looked for his victims." He threw smoke grenades and fired a shotgun, according to Anne Arundel County acting police chief William Krampf.

"This person was prepared today to come in, this person was prepared to shoot people. His intent was to cause harm," Krampf said.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Ramos filed a defamation suit against the paper in 2012.

A Twitter page bearing Ramos's name says he created the account to "defend" himself.

"Now I'm suing the sh-t out of half of AA County and making corpses of corrupt careers and corporate entities," it says.

At a media briefing Thursday evening police identified the slain victims as: Wendi Winters, Rebecca Smith, Robert Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman and John McNamara.

Winters was the special publications editor. McNamara was a writer. Fischman was editorial page editor. Smith was a sales assistant. Hiaasen was an assistant editor and columnist.

Brother of noted author a victim

Officials said earlier that the suspect, who was arrested at the scene, was being interrogated but had revealed little.

"The shooter has not been very forthcoming, so we don't have any information yet on motive," said Anne Arundel County executive Steve Schuh.

Police secure the scene after Thursday's shooting, which killed five people. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)

"To my knowledge, there was no verbal aspect to the incident where he declared his motives or anything else, so at this point we just don't know."

He was arrested without an exchange of gunfire with officers, according to police spokesperson Lt. Ryan Frashure.

At least two hospitals said they received three patients, two of them with minor injuries not caused by gunshots.

Hiaasen was the brother of noted author Carl Hiaasen, who said on Facebook he is "devastated and heartsick."

He lauded his brother as "one of the most gentle and funny people I've ever known" who had a "gifted career as a journalist."

The Miami Herald reported that Hiaasen was a warm and witty voice in the media world. He was 59 and had worked as a columnist and editor for the newspaper for several years, but kept up lifelong connections to Florida, where he grew up and worked previously for the Palm Beach Post.

'Like a war zone'

A reporter at the Capital Gazette tweeted earlier that a single gunman fired into the newsroom and shot multiple employees. Phil Davis, who covers courts and crime for the newspaper, wrote that the shooter fired through a glass door into the office.

Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees. Can't say much more and don't want to declare anyone dead, but it's bad. —@PhilDavis_CG There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload —@PhilDavis_CG

"A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead," he tweeted.

"There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload," he added.

The 888 Bestgate Rd. building that houses the Capital Gazette newspaper is seen on Thursday. (Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press)

In an interview with the Capital Gazette's online site, Davis said it "was like a war zone" inside the offices — a situation that would be "hard to describe for a while."

"I'm a police reporter. I write about this stuff — not necessarily to this extent, but shootings and death — all the time," he said.

"But as much as I'm going to try to articulate how traumatizing it is to be hiding under your desk, you don't know until you're there and you feel helpless."

Davis told the paper he and others were still hiding under their desks when the shooter stopped firing. "I don't know why. I don't know why he stopped," he said.

Massive police response to shooting in my newsroom in Annapolis. <a href="https://twitter.com/capgaznews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@capgaznews</a> <a href="https://t.co/M1Bjwa0mMh">pic.twitter.com/M1Bjwa0mMh</a> —@joshuamckerrow

Reporter Selene San Felice told CNN she was at her desk when she heard the shooting and ran with some others to a back door only to find it locked. She said she saw a colleague steps away as he was shot but didn't get a view of the shooter as she sought to hide.

"I heard footsteps a couple of times… I was breathing really loud and was trying not to, but I couldn't be quiet," she added. Having gone to school in Florida, she recalled accounts of a gunman's June 2016 mass shooting attack on Orlando's gay nightclub Pulse and how terrified people crouching inside had texted loved ones. Dozens were killed there.

"And there I was sitting under a desk, texting my parents and telling them I loved them," she said.

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said the community is grieving the attack on their community paper.

"These are the guys that come to city council meetings, have to listen to boring politicians and sit there," Buckley said. "They don't make a lot of money. It's just immoral that their lives should be in danger."

About 170 people in all were escorted out and away from the building by officers as a multitude of police cars and other emergency vehicles arrived on the scene.

On TV reports, people could be seen leaving the building with their hands up, as police officers urged them to depart through a parking lot and officers converged on the building.

A gas station employee near the shooting scene described a flood of police activity in the area as he sat tight inside his still-open workplace.

A newspaper stand selling the Capital Gazette is seen in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday. (Zach Gibson/AFP/Getty Images)

In a phone interview, Carlos Wallace, who works just down the street from the newspaper's offices, estimated that "dozens of dozens" of law enforcement vehicles and ambulances had raced to the scene with sirens blaring.

"The road is blocked off real good. It's like dozens of dozens of emergency vehicles, police cars of all types, explosive vehicles, battering ram vehicles, all kinds of stuff," Wallace said Thursday afternoon.

'Violence is never tolerated'

Journalists at the Capital Gazette are working to cover the shooting and put out Friday's paper.

Photojournalist Joshua McKerrow tweeted Thursday that he wasn't there when the shooting broke out, but he headed to the scene.

McKerrow said he is working to cover the story with two Capital Gazette reporters and with assistance from colleagues at the Baltimore Sun, which is owned by the same company.

Reporter Chase Cook tweeted: "I can tell you this: We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow."

High school sports editor Bob Hough said he and a colleague were working on the sports section from his home Thursday evening.

On TV reports, people could be seen leaving the building with their hands up, as police officers urged them to depart through a parking lot and officers converged on the building. (WJLA via AP)

Hough, who wasn't at the office during the shooting, said he expects to publish a full section.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a statement saying he was "absolutely devastated" by the shooting.

Prior to departing Wisconsin, I was briefed on the shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders who are currently on the scene. —@realDonaldTrump

At the White House, spokesperson Lindsay Walters said: "There is no room for violence, and we stick by that. Violence is never tolerated in any form, no matter whom it is against."

U.S. President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting, and tweeted that his "thoughts and prayers" are with the victims and their families.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that the attack was "devastating."

Journalists tell the stories of our communities, protect democracy, & often put their lives on the line just to do their jobs. Today’s attack in Annapolis is devastating. Our hearts go out to all the victims & their families. —@JustinTrudeau

New York police sent counterterrorism teams to news organizations around the city in a move authorities said was a precaution, not prompted by any specific threat. Police could be seen outside the New York Times, ABC News and Fox News early in the evening.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Police describe how the shooting at the newspaper office ended

A gunman has opened fire at a local newspaper office in Maryland, killing five people and injuring others in what police said was a "targeted attack".

Staff at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis said the attacker, armed with a shotgun and smoke grenades, shot through a glass door into the newsroom.

US media have named a suspect held by police as Jarrod Ramos. He is reported to have unsuccessfully sued the newspaper group in 2012 for defamation.

Police have not confirmed a motive.

They said a white male suspect in his late 30s was taken into custody at the scene of the shooting and was being questioned.

Investigators were said to be looking into "violent" threats that had been made against the Capital Gazette via social media.

"This was a targeted attack on the Capital Gazette," said William Krampf, deputy chief of Anne Arundel County Police. He added that the gunman "entered the building with a shotgun and looked for his victims as he walked through the lower level".

County executive Steve Schuh told CNN that the suspect was hiding under a desk in the building when police officers arrived "within 60 seconds" of receiving news of the incident. He said there was "no exchange of fire".

The Capital Gazette publishes several local newspapers, including a daily called The Capital, which has a history dating back to 1884. It is owned by the Baltimore Sun Media Group.

The Baltimore Sun reported that police gathered outside Mr Ramos' house on Thursday after the attack. It said the alleged suspect has a "long-running feud" with The Capital over a 2011 report on a criminal harassment case against him.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Armed officers escorted more than 170 people from the building in Annapolis

The victims have been identified by police. They are:

Wendi Winters, 65, reporter

Rebecca Smith, 34, sales assistant

Robert Hiaasen, 59, editor

Gerald Fischman, 61, editorial writer

John McNamara, 56, reporter and editor

Author and Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen paid tribute to his brother, who was killed in the shooting, calling him "one of the most gentle and funny people I've ever known".

Speaking to reporters, Mr Krampf said an item "we believed to be an explosive device" had been found at the premises and destroyed. He said it turned out to be a smoke bomb.

He added that more than 170 people had been escorted safely from the building, which houses other businesses.

'War zone'

Staff at the Capital Gazette's titles were left reeling from the shooting, but vowed to put out an edition on Friday.

"There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload," tweeted reporter Phil Davis.

Mr Davis described the shooting at the newspaper's office in Annapolis, just east of Washington DC, as being "like a war zone".

He said that people were still hiding under their desks when the gunman stopped shooting. "I don't know why. I don't know why he stopped," he told the Baltimore Sun.

Chase Cook, a reporter, tweeted: "I can tell you this: We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow."

Image copyright AFP Image caption Capital Gazette reporters were pictured working on the next day's newspaper from the car park

President Donald Trump was briefed on the attack. He tweeted that his "thoughts and prayers" were with the victims and their families.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders later condemned the attack on "innocent journalists doing their job".

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said it had deployed counterterrorism teams to media organisations in and around New York City as a precaution.

Read more about US gun violence

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption After the Las Vegas attack in October 2017 the BBC looked at how US mass shootings are getting worse

Another staff member at the Capital Gazette, Selene San Felice, told CNN that her first reaction to the shooting was to lie down under her desk, adding that she attempted to exit through a rear door but it was locked.

Reporter Danielle Ohl said the newsroom was quite small, with "about 20 news staffers" and several advertising staff. "We are close. We are family. I am devastated," she said.

Jimmy DeButts, the editor at the Capital Gazette, tweeted that he was "heartbroken" following the incident.

Federal agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were involved in the response to the attack.

Maryland governor Larry Hogan said on Twitter he was "absolutely devastated" and was in contact with authorities.

Democratic senator Chris Van Hollen responded to Mr Davis on Twitter, saying "journalists shouldn't have to fend off bullets in the newsroom".</s>ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A single shooter killed multiple people Thursday and wounded others at a newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, and police said a suspect was in custody.

A reporter at The Capital Gazette tweeted that a single gunman fired into the newsroom and shot multiple employees. Phil Davis, who covers courts and crime for the newspaper, tweeted that the shooter fired through the glass door to the office.

“A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead,” he tweeted. Officials later confirmed that five people were killed.

Davis added, “There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.”

Anne Arundel County Acting Police Chief William Krampf confirmed the five deaths Thursday at a news conference.

Anne Arundel police spokesman Lt. Ryan Frashure said officers had raced to the scene, arriving 60 seconds, and engaged the shooter.

Arminta Plater, a spokeswoman for a hospital near the newspaper, said two patients had arrived there but she did not know their conditions.

People could be seen leaving the building with their hands up, as police urged them to depart through a parking lot and officers converged.

In an interview with The Capital Gazette’s online site, Davis said it “was like a war zone” inside the newspaper’s offices — a situation that would be “hard to describe for a while.”

“I’m a police reporter. I write about this stuff — not necessarily to this extent, but shootings and death — all the time,” he said. “But as much as I’m going to try to articulate how traumatizing it is to be hiding under your desk, you don’t know until you’re there and you feel helpless.”

Davis told the paper he and others were still hiding under their desks when the shooter stopped firing. “I don’t know why. I don’t know why he stopped,” he said.

A gas station employee near the shooting scene described a flood of police activity in the area as he sat tight inside his still-open workplace.

In a phone interview, Carlos Wallace, who works just down the street from the newspaper’s offices, said law enforcement vehicles and ambulances had raced toward the scene with sirens blaring.

“The road is blocked off real good. It’s like dozens of dozens of emergency vehicles, police cars of all types, explosive vehicles, battering ram vehicles, all kinds of stuff,” Wallace said at about 3:50 p.m. Thursday.

The newspaper is part of Capital Gazette Communications, which also publishes the Maryland Gazette and CapitalGazette.com. It is part of the Baltimore Sun Media Group.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a statement saying he was “absolutely devastated” at the tragedy. Officials said President Donald Trump had been briefed on it. White House spokeswoman Lindsay Waters told reporters, “our thoughts and prayers are with all that are affected.”</s>Police respond to a shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, on Thursday, June 28, 2018. Several people were killed Thursday in a shooting at the building that houses the Capital Gazette, a daily newspaper published in Annapolis, a historic city an hour east of Washington.

At least five people were killed and two were injured when a gunman opened fire in a Maryland newsroom Thursday in what police are calling a "targeted attack" on the newspaper.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh said the suspect, identified as Jarrod W. Ramos, had put his weapon down and was hiding in the building under a desk when police found him at the Capital Gazette building in Annapolis.

Anne Arundel police spokesman Lt. Ryan Frashure said officers arrived on the scene within 60 seconds of initial reports.

"This person was prepared to shoot people. His intent was to cause harm," William Krampf, acting police chief Anne Arundel County, said at a news conference.

Thursday afternoon, a gunman armed with a gun and smoke grenades, shot through the glass door to the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, and opened fire on multiple employees. Employees dove under desks to avoid flying bullets. It "was like a ware zone," Phil Davis, a Capital crime reporter who was in the building at the time of the shooting, told The Baltimore Sun.

Authorities said police responded to the scene within a minute of the shooting. Police found the suspect hiding under a desk. About 170 people were evacuated from the site.

The Capital Gazette is owned by The Baltimore Sun. Its offices house two newspapers, one of which is the oldest in the country.

Jarrod W. Ramos, who is in custody, is accused of opening fire at the Capital Gazette. Court documents show Ramos, 38, filed a defamation suit against the newspaper in 2012, but a judge threw out the lawsuit, saying Ramos "fails to come close to alleging a case of defamation." A Maryland appeals court upheld the ruling.

The case referenced a Capital story by staff writer Eric Thomas Hartley under the headline "Jarrod wants to be your friend." The story described a harrowing situation of a woman who was continually harassed by Ramos after he contacted her on Facebook.

A review of Ramos' tweets to Hartley reveal that Ramos was angry about how the criminal case — and the press coverage of it — was handled. USA TODAY compiled approximately 880 tweets that Ramos made to Hartley's Twitter feed between 2011 and today.

Journalist Rob Hiaasen was among the five victims of Thursday's deadly attack. Hiaasen, 59, was the assistant editor and a columnist for the Capital Gazette, according to the paper's website. Special publications editor Wendi Winters, writer John McNamara, editorial page editor Gerald Fischman and sales assistant Rebecca Smith also died.

Two others were injured.

More: 5 killed in ‘targeted attack’ on Capital Gazette newspaper, police say

More: Newsrooms across the country upping security after shooting at Capital Gazette</s>Fischman was an award winning writer and editor at The Capital who had worked for the paper for more than a quarter century. The Baltimore Sun, which owns the Annapolis-based Capital, says colleagues noted Fischman's quiet personality, which masked a keen mind that produced editorials ranging from state politics to arts reviews.

"He had ability that, I thought, deserved a higher calling than The Capital," longtime editor and publisher Tom Marquardt acknowledged to the Sun.

"He was a great writer. He was a really smart guy, so smart that he tried out for Jeopardy twice," Marquardt said, according to newspaper. "But he couldn't get accepted because they didn't like his personality. That was Gerald's spin, anyway."

Shanteé Felix, a former reporter at Capital Gazette Communications, posted on her Facebook page that, "He was shy and quiet, but a thorough editor who was filled with a wealth of knowledge. He was also a very sweet man."

Married to a Mongolian opera singer, Fischman graduated from the journalism school at the University of Maryland in 1979, according to The Associated Press.

Hiaasen shared the sardonic wit of his famous brother, author Carl Hiaasen. Rob's "wryly observant writing style and his generous mentoring of young journalists assured him of roles in several newsrooms, from The Baltimore Sun to, most recently, the Capital Gazette in Annapolis," the Sun's Jean Marbella writes.

Hiaasen joined The Capital in 2010 as assistant editor after working as a reporter at the Baltimore Sun for 15 years, according to the AP. The news agency says that prior to that, he had been a staff reporter at the Palm Beach Post and news anchor and reporter for radio stations across the South.

In a post on Facebook, Carl Hiaasen wrote that he was "devastated and heartsick to confirm the loss of my wonderful brother Rob today," a man he said was "one of the most gentle and funny people I've ever known. He spent his whole gifted career as a journalist, and he believed profoundly in the craft and mission of serving the public's right to know the news."

According to the Sun, he and his wife Maria, with whom he had three children, had celebrated their 33rd anniversary just days before he was killed.

John McNamara, 56, staff writer and editor for The Bowie Blade-News and The Crofton-West County Gazette

McNamara, who went by "Mac," loved covering sports and wrote extensively on the subject, according to the AP.

"He could write. He could edit. He could design pages. He was just a jack of all trades and a fantastic person," Capital Gazette sports editor Gerry Jackson told the Sun.

According to the newspaper: "The University of Maryland graduate wrote two books about athletics at his alma mater. "The University of Maryland Football Vault: The History Of The Terrapins," tracked Maryland football from its first game in 1892 through the 2008 season. "Cole Classics! Maryland Basketball's Leading Men and Moments" told the story of Terrapin basketball. He was working on a book about great basketball players raised in the Washington area when he died, [Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff] Barker said."

The AP says he was married and loved local history, rock and folk music.

Smith had only joined the Capital Gazette in November, according to her Facebook page.

"She was a very thoughtful person," the Capital Gazette's advertising director, Marty Padden, was quoted by the Sun as saying. "She was kind and considerate, and willing to help when needed. She seemed to really enjoy ... working in the media business."

On Facebook, Smith wrote about her battle against endometriosis – a condition creating abnormal tissue growth outside the uterine wall – calling herself an "Endo Warrior." She also described herself as a "Dog Mom. Softball Fiancé. Bonus Mom to the best kid ever."

The AP says she was a Baltimore native and lived with her fiancé in east Baltimore County.

According to The Baltimore Sun, Winters came to journalism later in life after a career in fashion and public relations in New York, starting as a freelancer for the Capital Gazette 20 years ago.

A former community news editor at the newspaper group, Leslie Hunt, said Winters was "dedicated and loved the work."

"She loves the news business," Hunt said.

According to the newspaper: "Winters covered all sorts of local news at the Capital Gazette, Hunt said, and wrote columns for the Home of the Week, Teen of the Week and Around Broadneck features. She joined the staff full-time in May 2013 after more than a decade writing articles for hire."

The Sun writes: "Beyond the newsroom, she identified herself as a "proud Navy mom," a church youth adviser, a Red Cross volunteer and a Girl Scout leader who could "make a mean s'more."

On her Facebook page, Winters described herself as having "Peter Pan DNA, blended with some extroverted introversion, sprinkled with proper punctuation marks and served half-baked with a Manhattan attitude."

Painter, muralist and author Michael Bell, writing on Winters' page, said: "Wendi covered my career in art & education over the past decade [and] championed the community in countless ways," adding that "She always got the story right and is someone my wife and I always considered a friend."</s>BREAKING: ATF Baltimore is responding to a shooting incident at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Md. pic.twitter.com/GQ1bMAejzQ — ATF HQ (@ATFHQ) June 28, 2018

The Anne Arundel Police in Maryland confirms there is an active shooter at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis.ATF Baltimore is responding to the incident.The building has been evacuated.President Trump has been briefed.White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters says "our thoughts and prayers are with all that are affected."</s>ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Multiple people have been shot at a daily newspaper in Maryland, according to multiple news sources.
• Staff at paper reporting that multiple people have been shot
• Maryland governor: 'Praying for those at the scene'

The website of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis said a crime reporter said there was a shooter in the building and that several had been shot.

"There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload," Phil Davis wrote on Twitter, the Capital Gazette reported.

A law enforcement official said the shooting happened in the paper's newsroom and that one person was in custody, CNN reports.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have reported to a "shooting incident" at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, they said.

The Capital Gazette said police were also at the Baltimore Sun newsroom. Both papers are owned by media publisher Tronc Inc., which also owns the Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel and the New York Daily News.

Anne Arundel Police in a tweet confirmed they were investigating an active shooter and that a building at 888 Bestgate Road in Annapolis had been evacuated. Authorities have set up a meetup point at a nearby mall.

I'm "absolutely devastated to learn of this tragedy in Annapolis," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a tweet. "Praying for those at the scene and for our community."

Check back for updates on the developing story.</s>ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — Report: Multiple people shot at The Capital newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. .

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A man armed with smoke grenades and a shotgun attacked journalists in the building Thursday, killing several people

Maryland police officers patrol the area after multiple people were shot at at The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, June 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

First-degree murder charges were filed Friday against a man with a grudge against Maryland’s capital newspaper after police said he shot his way into the newsroom, killing four journalists and a staffer and wounding two others.

Jarrod Warren Ramos was swiftly arrested, interrogated and jailed pending a 10:30 a.m. hearing in Annapolis. No defence attorney was listed in online court records, but one note suggests he could be represented by a public defender. Another classifies him as “recalcitrant.” Investigators said earlier that he was unco-operative.

Acting Police Chief William Krampf of Anne Arundel County said the gunman “looked for his victims” Thursday in the newsroom of The Capital Gazette in Annapolis. “This person was prepared today to come in, this person was prepared to shoot people,” Krampf said.

Ramos, 38, has a well-documented history of harassing the paper’s journalists that began years ago after the Gazette reported about his criminal conviction in a harassment case.

The attack began with a shotgun blast that shattered the glass entrance of the open newsroom. Journalists crawled under desks and sought other hiding places, describing agonizing minutes of terror as they heard his footsteps and the repeated blasts of the weapons. Police said he also was armed with smoke grenades.

It’s unclear what immediate motivation the gunman may have had. Investigators were reviewing his social media postings and searching his apartment in Laurel, Maryland, searching for clues.

“The shooter has not been very forthcoming, so we don’t have any information yet on motive,” Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh said.

Those killed included Rob Hiaasen, 59, the paper’s assistant managing editor and brother of novelist Carl Hiaasen. Carl Hiaasen said he was “devastated and heartsick” at losing his brother, “one of the most gentle and funny people I’ve ever known.” Also slain were Gerald Fischman, editorial page editor; features reporter Wendi Winters; reporter John McNamara, and sales assistant Rebecca Smith. The newspaper said two other employees had non-life threatening injuries and were later released from a hospital.

“There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload,” tweeted Phil Davis, the paper’s courts and crime reporter. In a later interview appearing on the paper’s online site, Davis likened the newspaper office to a “war zone.”

“I’m a police reporter. I write about this stuff — not necessarily to this extent, but shootings and death — all the time,” he said. “But as much as I’m going to try to articulate how traumatizing it is to be hiding under your desk, you don’t know until you’re there and you feel helpless.”

In this frame from video, people leave the Capital Gazette newspaper after multiple people have been shot on Thursday, June 28, 2018, in Annapolis, Md. (WJLA via AP)

Reporter Selene San Felice told CNN she was at her desk but ran after hearing shots, only to find a back door locked. She then watched as a colleague was shot, adding she didn’t glimpse the gunman.

“I was breathing really loud and was trying not to, but I couldn’t be quiet,” she said. “I’m going to need more than ‘thoughts and prayers.’”

The reporter recalled a June 2016 mass shooting attack on Orlando’s gay nightclub Pulse and how terrified people crouching inside had texted loved ones as dozens were killed. Said San Felice, “And there I was sitting under a desk, texting my parents and telling them I loved them.”

Police spokesman Lt. Ryan Frashure said officers arrived within about 60 seconds and took the gunman into custody without an exchange of gunfire. About 170 people were then evacuated from the building, which houses other offices, many leaving with their hands up as police and other emergency vehicles arrived.

The attack came amid months of verbal and online attacks on the “fake news media” from politicians and others from President Donald Trump on down. It prompted New York City police to immediately tighten security at news organizations in the nation’s media capital.

At the White House, spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said: “There is no room for violence, and we stick by that. Violence is never tolerated in any form, no matter whom it is against.”

The president tweeted: “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders.”

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders added in a tweet: “Strongly condemn the evil act of senseless violence in Annapolis, MD. A violent attack on innocent journalists doing their job is an attack on every American. Our prayers are with the victims and their friends and families.”

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said the community is grieving.

“These are the guys that come to city council meetings, have to listen to boring politicians and sit there,” Buckley said. “They don’t make a lot of money. It’s just immoral that their lives should be in danger.”

The newspaper is part of Capital Gazette Communications, which also publishes the Maryland Gazette and CapitalGazette.com. It is owned by The Baltimore Sun.

The Associated Press Media Editors promised to help Capital Gazette journalists as they recover. An APME statement called on newspapers nationwide to help the paper continue its community coverage and fight for freedom of the press.

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Michael Balsamo in Los Angeles contributed to this story.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.</s>Multiple people were shot Thursday at a newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, with a witness saying a single gunman fired into the newsroom.

A reporter at The Capital tweeted that a single individual shot multiple people. Phil Davis, who covers business and politics for the newspaper, tweeted that the gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees.

RELATED: Undercover FBI agent was near gunmen before attack

He added, “There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.”

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was responding to reports of the shooting.

Anne Arundel County Police Department spokesman Marc Limansky said officers were searching the building where the shooting was reported. He said the situation is “active and ongoing.”

On TV reports, people could be seen leaving the building with their hands up, as police officers urged them to depart through a parking lot and officers converged on the building.

Lt. Ryan Frashure, another spokesman for Anne Arundel County police, said on WJLA that officers are “doing everything to get people out safe.” He said they must look for other dangers, such as bombs and other shooters.

The Capital and newspapers including the Maryland Gazette are owned by the Baltimore Sun Media Group.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a statement saying he was “absolutely devastated” at the tragedy. Officials said President Donald Trump had been briefed on it. White House spokeswoman Lindsay Waters told reporters, “our thoughts and prayers are with all that are affected.”

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A shooting at the office of The Capital and the Maryland Gazette newspapers in Annapolis, Maryland, United States, kills five people. The suspected shooter is detained by local police.