Smithsburg, Md., mass shooting: How it happened, what we know, and what we don't know

Police believe a 23-year-old worker at Columbia Machine in Smithsburg went to his workplace and opened fire Thursday, killing three and wounding another.

The suspect then fled south on Mapleville Road, where he got into a shootout with Maryland State Police troopers. The suspect and an officer were wounded.

Police have released some of what they know about the mass shooting, including a general outline of the events and the names of the victims.

Joe Louis Esquivel, 23, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, has been charged in the shooting.

Still, there are many things we don't know.

Smithsburg active shooter

The report of the active shooter came to police at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the former Bikle Manufacturing, 12921 Bikle Road.

The company was purchased by Vancouver-based Columbia Machine Inc., in 2019. It is a big-board mold maker and repair services provider, according to its website.

In a news release issued late Friday, police said the suspect reported for his normal shift at Columbia Machine and worked throughout the day.

At some point before 2:30 p.m., he "exited the building, retrieved a weapon from his vehicle, and reentered the business. The suspect proceeded to the area of the breakroom and begin to fire upon employees," the release states.

Smithsburg police were first to arrive, according to Washington County Sheriff Doug Mullendore. They "located an injured subject outside the business in a field," he said.

Maryland shooting: With mass shooting at Columbia Machine, tragedy hits 'very close to home'

Pittsville shooting: Wicomico sheriff's deputy dies from injuries suffered in shooting in Pittsville on Sunday

That injured person was Brandon Chase Michael, 42. He was taken to Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown. His condition and the nature of his injuries was not known early Friday.

The deceased were identified as:

• Mark Alan Frey, 50, Hagerstown

• Charles Edward Minnick Jr., 31, Smithsburg

• Joshua Robert Wallace, 30, Hagerstown

Members of the Washington County Sheriff's Office met with and offered support to the families of those killed and wounded on Thursday, according to Sgt. Carly Hose, the department spokesperson.

She also said Smithsburg Valley Baptist Church, which is near Columbia Machine on Bikle Road, put its day care facility on lockdown during the incident. The children were not harmed.

Mapleville Road shootout wounds two

The suspect fled the scene in his vehicle, a bronze Mitsubishi Eclipse, before police arrived.

Sheriff's deputies "quickly put out a broadcast for a vehicle and a suspect and a sense of direction," said Lt. Col. Bill Dofflemyer of Maryland State Police.

Three state police troopers were driving north on Mapleville Road (Md. 66) toward the Smithsburg-area scene when they encountered a vehicle matching that description.

"When troopers went to stop the vehicle, the suspect immediately started firing multiple rounds at the troopers," Dofflemyer said. "The troopers returned fire, striking the suspect."

The suspect, who lives in West Virginia, was taken to Meritus, Dofflemyer said. Police have not released his name, his condition or the nature of his injuries.

In Friday's news release, the sheriff's office stated that "the suspect’s identity will not be released until he is served with charging documents."

The wounded trooper also has not been named. But state police said he is a 25-year veteran of the force, assigned to the Criminal Enforcement Division Western Region.

The trooper also was taken to Meritus. He was released from the hospital Thursday night.

Mapleville Road was closed for hours as authorities investigated the scene just south of the roundabout at Mapleville and Mount Aetna roads. Three vehicles — a Ford SUV, a Chevrolet sedan and a Mitsubishi Eclipse — eventually were hauled away.

Officers from several agencies, including the Smithsburg Police Department, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were at the scenes.

With the assistance of the Berkeley County, W.Va., Sheriff’s Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, authorities executed a search warrant at the suspect’s West Virginia residence. Additional firearms were found, police said in Friday's release.

Prayer vigils for the victims

A prayer vigil will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Shiloh United Methodist Church, 19731 Shiloh Church Road, for victims of the mass shooting near Smithsburg and others across the country.

The church also will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for prayer and for another vigil Sunday at 11 a.m. with affected church members

"Members of Shiloh United Methodist Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Smithsburg have been directly affected by these shootings, as have numerous people in our community," the Hagerstown Area Religious Council wrote in a news release. "The fabric of our community as a whole is affected as well by the local loss, and fear and frustration that these tragedies occur weekly throughout our country."

The organization invites "clergy, people of faith and the community" to mourn the victims and "to offer prayers and support the families and friends of the victims as well as those wounded and still with us, and to pray for healing for our community and country."

And a candlelight vigil is planned for 8 p.m. Saturday in Lions Community Park, 12835 Bikle Road. An announcement of the vigil, intended to "honor and remember the lives lost," was posted online by Whispering Hills and Smithsburg, MD, a private group on Facebook.

What else do we know?

• The weapon used at both scenes was a semi-automatic handgun, and a handgun was found in the vehicle on Mapleville Road, police said. A semi-automatic weapon fires one shot each time a person pulls the trigger, automatically reloading for the next shot.

• "The weapon used in both scenes was a semi-automatic handgun," Mullendore said. A semi-automatic weapon fires one shot each time a person pulls the trigger, automatically reloading for the next shot.

• A handgun was found in the vehicle on Mapleville Road.

• It was the second shooting in Washington County in two days. On Wednesday evening, a 19-year-old was wounded in the parking lot of the Valley Mall. A 21-year-old has been charged in connection with that incident.

• Rick Goode, CEO of Columbia Machine, issued a statement saying the company was deeply saddened. "We are working closely with local authorities while the investigation continues. Our highest priority during this tragic event is the safety and wellbeing of our employees and their families," the statement reads.

• Meritus Health President and CEO Maulik Joshi said the hospital staff, while providing "hope to these victims," also continued to care for others with serious medical emergencies that afternoon. "These moments were also harrowing for our teams. Leadership placed appropriate areas on lockdown to be extremely cautious with the advice from law enforcement," he said in a written statement.

Some other things we don't know

• The motive.

• What the suspect was doing in the hours before the incident.

• The make, model and caliber of the weapon, and where and when it was acquired. Police did not immediately release the make, model or caliber of the weapon because that information "was part of the investigation," Mullendore said.

Mike Lewis covers business, the economy and other issues. Follow Mike on Twitter: @MiLewis.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: How the shooting in Smithsburg, Maryland, happened and what we know