Authorities said a mass shooting at a Maryland manufacturing plant on Thursday killed three employees and critically injured another before the accused person was injured in a gunbattle with state troopers and taken into custody.
Cops were called to the Columbia Machine plant in Smithsburg around 2:30 p.m., where they discovered an injured 42-year-old worker near the company and discovered the suspect had fled, according to Washington County Sheriff Douglas Mullendore.
According to Maryland State Police, troopers tracked down the suspect’s vehicle near the intersection of Mapleville and Mt. Aetna roads in Hagerstown based on descriptions provided by officers at the scene, and a standoff ensued.
The suspect fired at troopers, hitting one of them, and was shot when they returned fire.
The unidentified shooter, described only as a 23-year-old, was apprehended and taken to a hospital for treatment.
His condition was unknown as of Friday morning.
Sheriff Mullendore identified the victims as 50-year-old Mark Alan Frey, 31-year-old Charles Edward Minnick, and 30-year-old Joshua Robert Wallace. It’s unclear where the trio was discovered at the plant.
