Multiple people shot at Rite Aid warehouse in Harford County
BALTIMORE – There were “multiple wounded and multiple fatalities” in a shooting at a drug store distribution center this morning in Aberdeen, Md., according to law enforcement. Although initial reports from multiple news sources said three people had been killed and two others wounded at the Rite Aid Distribution Center, Harford County (Md.) Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler refused to give precise numbers out of consideration for the affected families, he said at a press conference held shortly after noon EDT.
UPDATE: The shooter died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds after he shot and killed three people.
Sheriff Gahler said the suspect, who used a single handgun, has been hospitalized in critical condition at a local hospital. He declined to give any additional information about the suspect. NBC News and CNN are reporting that law enforcement sources said the suspect was a woman but that has not been confirmed.
The sheriff said officers responding to the scene did not fire any shots but he would not elaborate. His statement suggests that the suspect’s wound was self-inflicted, or that a posted security guard or civilian shot the suspect.
The Rite Aid Distribution Center is part of a larger warehouse facility in a business park in Aberdeen, about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore and eight miles west of the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The initial call came into the sheriff at 9:06 a.m. EDT and deputies arrived at the scene within about four minutes, the sheriff said. He thanked the multiple federal and state agencies that assisted in the incident, including the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Maryland State Police and the Maryland Transit Administration Police. Witnesses described seeing multiple emergency vehicles converging on the scene.
We are closely monitoring the horrific shooting in Aberdeen. Our prayers are with all those impacted, including our first responders. The State stands ready to offer any support. https://t.co/fzugpo8C1Z
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) September 20, 2018
This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News.
Regina Holmes has more than two decades of experience as a journalist –editing and reporting for news dailies including the Miami Herald, Newsday and the Baltimore Examiner.