Authorities are investigating a shooting at a drug store distribution center in Harford County, Maryland, where an armed individual reportedly killed three people and injured several others.
According to CBS Baltimore , police were notified at 9:09 a.m. of the shooting, which took place on Thursday at a Rite Aid support facility in Perryman, a small community located near the town of Aberdeen in Harford County. The community in question lies about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore. “Multiple victims” were reported to have been shot in the area of Spesutia Road and Perryman Road, as the Harford Sheriff’s Office advised in a tweet shortly after the incident. People are currently being advised to avoid the area, as the situation was described as “fluid” as of 9:51 a.m.
Rite Aid spokeswoman Susan Henderson described the center as a secure location that has about 1,000 employees and serves as a location where “products are received and processed for delivery,” according to CNN .
Speaking to CBS Baltimore , resident Colleen Hendrickson said that the area where the shooting took place is an otherwise “sleepy” location that was plunged into a state of chaos when she saw it earlier in the morning. She also related that traffic was clogged in the area because the shooting had forced authorities to close several roads.
“It’s been absolutely crazy. Everything is cut off, all the roads are cut off. They’re not even supposed to let cars down here, and they’re just using any larger vehicles, they’re letting through. They’re telling some people to divert through the graveyard, somewhat. But there’s so many cars.”
We can confirm there was a shooting in the area of Spesutia Road and Perryman Road. Multiple victims. The situation is still fluid. Please avoid the area. Media staging area still TBD.
— Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) September 20, 2018
A gunman killed three people and wounded two others at a Rite Aid drugstore distribution center in Harford County, Maryland, officials say https://t.co/Lq5KCDyjIp pic.twitter.com/ar6GV83xwY
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 20, 2018
A resident named Alexi Scharmann spoke to Maryland news outlet WBAL-TV , expressing her shock upon hearing about the incident from her mother via text message. She said that the community at the Rite Aid facility is a small, “tight-knit” one and that the incident came as such a surprise because of how “nice” the employees are at the center.
As of this writing, no specifics on the suspected shooter have been released, but WBAL-TV investigative reporter Jayne Miller hinted that the suspect might have been a woman who was taken to a hospital following the incident. No information was provided on the names of the victims, though the report added that “several” of them were taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
As further noted by NBC News , Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said in a tweet that he is “closely monitoring” the situation and offering his prayers to everyone who was affected by the shooting. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Baltimore office is currently working closely with agents from the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as the investigation continues.
