Twitter Intern Anthony Messenger tweeted during the Capital Gazette shooting.
An intern at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, has posted a frantic cry for help on Twitter as news of an active shooter broke. Five people are dead and more injured.
The intern is Anthony Messenger. “Active shooter 888 Bestgate please help us,” he wrote on Twitter on the afternoon of June 28, 2018. Cautionary sweeps were conducted by police at the Baltimore Sun newspaper in wake of the shooting reports. Messenger also tweeted at the Baltimore Sun that a writer at the Capital Gazette who edits other local newspapers was shot, writing on Twitter, “@baltimoresun John macnamara has been shot @AACOPD.” Anne Arundel Sheriff Ron Bateman told Fox News that there are multiple fatalities at the newspaper, although the victims’ names were not yet known. WJLA stated that a shotgun was used in the attack, which broke out at 2:30 p.m. One account on Twitter said the intern is not wounded.
BPD at @baltimoresun for precautionary sweep in light of Capital-Gazette incident
Phil Davis, a crime and courts reporter for the newspaper, also tweeted a string of frightening reports.
There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload
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.
A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead.
There are reports that a gunman is in custody, although this was unconfirmed. The suspect’s name is not clear, and the motive is not yet known either. “Active Shooter in #Annapolis. PIO is on scene,” the Anne Arundel Police Department confirmed. The Capital Gazette, even while under fire, managed to get a breaking news story on its website reporting the situation through its affiliate Baltimore Sun. “Phil Davis, a Gazette reporter, said that multiple people had been shot. Police did not immediately respond to requests for further information,” the story reports.
Here’s what you need to know:
Anthony Messenger Is a Summer Reporting Intern at The Capital Gazette
NEW: Four people dead in shooting at Capital-Gazette building in Annapolis, Maryland, two sources tell @CBSNews. t.co/eWjaC4dGlq
According to the newspaper’s website, “Anthony Messenger is a summer reporting intern at The Capital. He is a rising senior at Salisbury University, majoring in media production with a minor in athletic coaching. Messenger has been co-editor of Rubbing the Rock, a website covering Clemson University athletics, for the past two years.”
Most recently, Messenger was covering early voting issues, based on his tweets.
The Daily Beast and others reported that at least four people were shot at the daily newspaper on June 28, 2018, and that the sheriff was confirming that there were multiple fatalities. However, as with many active shooter situations, the specific details are confusing and not immediately clear.
John McNamara Has Worked at Local Newspapers for More Than Two Decades
Four dead in shooting at Capital Gazette newspaper building, person in custody. t.co/eWjaC4dGlq
There is no word yet on John McNamara’s condition. According to his biography on the newspaper’s website, “John McNamara is the editor of the Bowie Blade-News and the Crofton-West County Gazette. He has worked in various capacities for Capital Gazette for more than 20 years.” He defines himself as a Capital Gazette writer. On Twitter, he mostly wrote about sports.
The Anne Arundel police tweeted, “#update confirming active shooter at 888 Bestgate Road in Annapolis. Building evacuated. Officers continuing to search building. Relocation point is inside Lord and Taylor in the mall.” However, they have not yet provided further information because the situation remains so fluid.
The Capital Gazette, which is located in Anne Arundel County in Maryland, is owned by The Baltimore Sun. The newspaper reports that the ATF is on the scene along with local law enforcement. It’s located about a half hour from Washington D.C.
“A shooting has occurred at the Capital Gazette in Anne Arundel County, a paper that is owned by The Baltimore Sun, according to reports from Gazette staff,” the lead on the newspaper’s story said in the midst of the active shooter reports.
You can read more about the shooting at the Capital Gazette here.
