Gunman shoots five dead in US newspaper

Scene of the shooting
Photo: AP

A gunman has opened fire at a local newspaper in Maryland, killing five people and wounding many more.

Staff at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis said he shot through a glass door into the newsroom.

“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.

Police said a suspect was now in custody and was being questioned, BBC reports.

“We’ve had a terrible shooting incident here this afternoon,” county executive Steve Schuh said in a news conference.

“There are several people who have died from this incident.”

Police said they could not identify the exact weapon at the time. They said the suspect was being interrogated by law enforcement.

Several federal agencies, including the FBI, were involved in responding to the shooting in the city of Annapolis, just east of Washington DC.

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

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was responding.

The Capital Gazette is a daily newspaper and digital news site that is a part of Capital Gazette Communications.

Capital Gazette Communications publishes several local papers and is owned by the Baltimore Sun Media Group.