2 men critically injured in shooting at Maryland business park; gunman shot dead at nearby military base, police say
A 38-year-old Navy medic shot and critically injured two men Tuesday morning at a business park in Frederick, after which the suspect was shot dead by personnel at a nearby Maryland military base, the city police department said.
The men who were shot at Riverside Tech Park sustained life-threatening injuries and were flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where they are in critical condition, police said.
After the shooting, the gunman drove to the U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Detrick, where personnel on the base shot and killed him, said Jason Lando, Frederick’s police chief.
The man died after lifesaving efforts, Lando said, adding that it was too early to confirm whether the gunman had a connection to the military base, which is about 10 minutes from the business park. A Fort Detrick official said the so-far-unidentified gunman was brought down within minutes after he breached the fort’s Nallin Farm Gate near Opossumtown Pike.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our people,” U.S. Army Garrison Commander Col. Dexter Nunnally said in a statement. “Our emergency responders are well trained for these types of situations and the fast response of our military police enabled us to contain this threat quickly.”
The Navy said in a brief statement the shooting involved U.S. Navy Sailors and that the shooter was a Navy Hospital Corpsman.
Lando said it was too early to confirm whether the gunman had a connection to the military base, which is about 10 minutes from the business park.
Lando said nobody else was injured during the shooting.
Police responded around 8:30 a.m. to reports of an active shooter in the 8400 block of Progress Drive, said Allen Etzler, a spokesman for the Frederick Police Department. He described the block as containing several warehouses and offices.
“I can tell you that the shooter went into the business and we know that people fled from the business, but I’m not sure at this time where exactly the shooting took place,” Lando said during a media briefing at a nearby Royal Farms store.
Lando added that it’s unclear what kind of weapon was used in the shooting, but assured there was no longer any threat to the public. Police confirmed there was only one suspect, he said.
“It’s terrible. It’s unfortunate. It’s tragic,” Lando told reporters, acknowledging the frequency with which public shootings have been reported. The public learns of another shooting, he said, “every time we turn on our TVs.”
The police chief was flanked at a news conference by representatives from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police and the FBI Baltimore Field Office.
Frederick’s mayor, Michael O’Connor, was there too to acknowledge the shocking start to the warm spring Tuesday. He touted law enforcement collaboration and offered the city’s support to the victims.
“I just want to send the city’s wishes to the families of the victims in the hopes of quick recoveries,” he said.
Police have yet to identify either of the victims or the shooter. Lando urged the public to be patient as his officers conducted their investigation.
“The public is no longer at risk,” he said. “Everyone is safe.”
Speaking at a vaccine equity event in Baltimore, Gov. Larry Hogan said he had been in touch with Maryland State Police, which was assisting Frederick’s police department and county sheriff’s office.
”Our heart goes out to the victims and their families,” Hogan, a Republican, said. “We’re praying for them. These kinds of things seem to happen far too often. It’s always tragic but particularly when it hits so close to home. We’re just waiting to see more details into what the motivation was and how this took place.”
