Two Critically Shot at MD Tech Park; Gunman Killed at Base

Two men were critically injured in a shooting Tuesday morning at a business park in Frederick, Maryland, after which the suspect, a 38-year-old man, was shot dead by personnel at a nearby 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.

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 utilized in the shooting, but assured that any threat to the public had been mitigated. Police confirmed there was only one suspect, he said.

Nevertheless, about 30 schools in the area were placed on lockdown around 8:30 a.m. “out of an abundance of caution” because of police activity in the area, the school system said in an announcement posted on its website. The lockdown was lifted at 8:54 a.m. and “all students and staff are safe.”

“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, as Lando said his detectives canvassed the scene and talked to witnesses. He urged the public to be patient as his officers conducted their investigation.

“The public is no longer at risk,” he said. “Everyone is safe.”

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