A little more than two weeks after the massacre at the school in Uvalde, Texas, which left 21 dead, including 19 children, on May 24, armed violence is once again affecting the United States. An unidentified gunman opened fire inside a factory in Smithburg, western Maryland, on Thursday afternoon, killing several people, according to local authorities.
Three people died and two were injured, according to a Washington County sheriff’s report. Among the wounded are a member of the security forces, shot in the shoulder in an exchange of fire with the assailant.
Suspect shot and injured
The attack took place around 2:30 p.m. local time, according to NBC News. The suspect, who was shot and injured in a confrontation with Maryland State Police, according to the sheriff’s office, has been hospitalized, but his condition is uncertain at this time.
“The situation is evolving rapidly and we will release information as soon as we can,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement posted on Facebook. The crime scene remains active, a police official told CNN, but said there were no longer any threats to the surrounding community.