5 killed in US newspaper shooting, suspect charged with first-degree murder
Washington, June 29: Five people were killed and two others injured when a man armed with a shotgun and smoke grenades shot through a glass door into the newsroom of a newspaper in the US state of Maryland in a targeted shooting, police said.
Jarrod Warren Ramos, the 38-year-old suspect was taken into custody after the attack at the Capital Gazette newspaper's office in Annapolis on Thursday and was charged with five counts of first-degree murder, according to court records.
The attack has been deemed as the deadliest day for journalism in America in several years. Ramos is scheduled to have a bail hearing on Friday. He had a long history of conflict with the daily, the US media reported.
Ramos lost a defamation case against the paper in 2015 over a 2011 column he contended defamed him. The column provided an account of Ramos's guilty plea to criminal harassment of a woman over social media.
Police, who arrived at the scene within a minute of the reported gunfire, apprehended the gunman who was hiding under a desk in the newsroom, according to the top official in Anne Arundel County, where the attack occurred.
The five who were killed were Capital Gazette employees: Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, 56, a staff writer; Rebecca Smith, 34, a sales assistant and Wendi Winters, 65, who worked in special publications.
Fischman and Hiaasen were editors, McNamara was a reporter, Smith was a sales assistant and Winters worked for special publications, according to the newspaper's website.
Four of the victims died on the spot while the fifth was pronounced dead at the University of Maryland Medical Centre.
The shooting began at about 3 p.m. in the office building as Ramos entered the building with a shotgun and looked for his victims, the police said. After his arrest, Ramos refused to cooperate with the authorities or provide his name.
He was identified using facial recognition technology, a law enforcement official told the New York Times.
The newspaper, which was reeling from the attack, defiantly tweeted late on Thursday: "Yes, we're putting out a damn paper tomorrow."
It tweeted the front page of its Friday edition as well as obituaries for their colleagues.
The opinion page was left mostly blank with a brief message: "Today, we are speechless. This page is intentionally left blank today to commemorate victims of shooting at our office." It listed the five people's names.
The Capital Gazette, which has an editorial staff of 31 people, had a daily circulation of about 29,000 and a Sunday circulation of 34,000 as of 2014.
Commonly referred to as the Capital, the paper was founded in 1884 as the Evening Gazette.
The paper promotes itself as one of the oldest publishers in the country, with roots dating to the Maryland Gazette in 1727.
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Woman calls out Mumbai’s ‘insane’ prices after visiting Singapore, world’s most expensive city
Mumbai: An Indian tourist recently took to social media to express her shock at the high cost of living in Mumbai, comparing it to Singapore, often ranked as the world’s most expensive city.
The woman, who goes by the name Subi on X (formerly Twitter), was surprised to find that the prices at cafes and restaurants in Singapore were comparable to those in Mumbai, particularly in posh areas like Bandra.
Subi, who visited Singapore for a week, shared her experience and called out the cost of dining out, coffee, Ubers, and other experiences in Mumbai. She termed it 'insane,' despite the significant economic disparity between the two cities.
“Was in Singapore for a week and I shook how Mumbai is so expensive when it comes to nice cafes/restaurants and going out, coffee, Ubers, experiences etc. Like Singapore was just as/very slightly more expensive as most restaurants in Bandra and that's absolutely insane,” she wrote on X.
In her post, Subi also touched on the issue of economic inequality, noting that even something as simple as a cup of coffee in Mumbai, which can cost upwards of Rs 450, has become a luxury for many. “It's because of the inequality that even little things like grabbing a coffee from a cafe is a ‘luxury’ that costs 450 rupees while most of us don't make as much as our developed country counterparts to make these expenses make sense,” she added.
Her remarks sparked a discussion, with several users attributing the high costs in Indian cities to a combination of inflated real estate prices and classism. One user opined that Indian cities are insanely overpriced for everything, adding, "I feel like it’s a combination of crazy high rents inflating everything and classism—people want to be gated away from most of society."
A user identified as Sharan Gaba pointed to Mumbai’s skyrocketing real estate prices as a key factor driving up the cost of dining out. "Real estate prices in Mumbai drive up costs for restaurants, who compensate by overcharging customers," Gaba wrote. However, Subi responded by highlighting that rent in Singapore is significantly higher than in Mumbai, yet the prices for basic services remain similar. “In India we premium-ize everything because classism and we want to keep everyone away,” Subi added.
was in Singapore for a week and I shook how mumbai is SO expensive when it comes to nice cafes/restaurants and going out, coffee, ubers, experiences etc. like Singapore was just as/very slightly more expensive as most restaurants in bandra and that's absolutely insane
— subiii (@_subiii_) November 15, 2024
