Multiple people were reportedly shot and in a manufacturing facility in Maryland on Thursday afternoon.
Deputies responded to an active shooting on the 12900 block of Bikle Road in Smithsburg around 2.30pm, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
‘At this time the Sheriff’s Office can confirm that there are multiple victims and the suspect is no longer a threat to the community,’ the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said there were possibly three fatalities. However, the sheriff’s office declined to provide the exact number of victims and the extent of their injuries.
The shooting occurred at Columbia Machine, a company that offers ‘complete equipment lines to customers in over 100 countries’, according to its website. The facility is located near Smithsburg High and Middle Schools.
A Maryland State Police trooper shot and injured a suspect in a confrontation, said the sheriff’s office, according to .
The shooter was transported to a hospital, in a condition not immediately known.
Meanwhile, the trooper sustained a minor injury.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Baltimore office that it is assisting the sheriff’s office in the shooting.
Rep David Trone, whose district includes Smithsburg, called it a ‘mass shooting’ and said he was monitoring the situation.
‘Our office is in contact with officials on the ground,’ Trone. ‘If you’re local, please stay away from the area as law enforcement responds.’
Images from the scene showed a large presence of law enforcement and emergency vehicles.
Smithsburg is about 75 miles northwest of Washington, DC.
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