3 killed, 1 wounded in shooting at Maryland business

By Michael Kunzelman The Associated Press

2 years ago

Law enforcement stages near the scene of a shooting at Columbia Machine, Inc., in Smithsburg, M ... — Law enforcement stages near the scene of a shooting at Columbia Machine, Inc., in Smithsburg, Md., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Tim Jacobsen)

Law enforcement officials stand near the scene of a shooting at Columbia Machine, Inc., in Smithsburg, Md., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2022. (Bill Green/The Frederick News-Post via AP)

SMITHSBURG, Md. — A man opened fire at a business in western Maryland on Thursday, killing three people before the suspect and a state trooper were wounded in a shootout, authorities said.

The Washington County sheriff’s office said in a news release that three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg and a fourth victim was critically injured. The suspect then fled in a vehicle and was tracked down by Maryland State Police, according to the news release.

The suspect and a trooper were wounded in an exchange of gunfire, the sheriff’s office said. Both were being treated for their wounds.

Authorities did not have information on whether the suspect and victims were employees of the company where the shooting took place, Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Carly Hose said at a news conference.

News photographs showed a large law enforcement presence, including emergency vehicles, at the scene.

Smithsburg, a community of nearly 3,000 people, is just west of the Camp David presidential retreat and about 75 miles northwest of Baltimore.