Sheriff Mullendore and the members of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the many agencies that have assisted with the response and investigation into this tragic incident. Those agencies include the Maryland State Police, the FBI, the ATF, the Smithsburg Police Department, the Hagerstown Police Department, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office in West Virginia.
To recap the facts that have already been released. On June 9, 2022, at approximately 2:30 PM, the Washington County Emergency Communications Center received a report of an active shooter at Columbia Machine Inc., 12912 Bikle Road, Smithsburg, MD.
Officers and Deputies from multiple agencies responded. Officers from the Smithsburg Police Department arrived on the scene first and located an injured victim outside of the business.
As deputies arrived on the scene, 3 additional victims, all of whom were deceased, were located inside the business.
It was quickly discovered that the suspect had fled prior to law enforcement’s arrival. Units on scene relayed the suspect and suspect vehicle description to responding units and the suspect vehicle was encountered by Maryland State Police in the area of Mapleville Road and Mount Aetna Road.
The suspect and the Troopers exchanged gunfire and the suspect and one Trooper were injured. Both survived and were transported for medical treatment.
At this time, the Sheriff’s Office can confirm that all of the victims and the suspect were current employees of Columbia Machine, Inc.
The deceased victims include:
Mark Alan Frey, a 50-year-old white male;
Charles Edward Minnick Jr., a 31-year-old white male;
Joshua Robert Wallace, a 30-year-old white male.
The injured victim was identified as Brandon Chase Michael, a 42-year-old white male.
The suspect remains in law enforcement custody at Meritus Medical Center and was identified as a 23-year-old Hispanic male who resides in West Virginia. His identity will not be released until charging documents are filed.
The weapon used at both scenes was a semi-automatic handgun. The exact caliber, make and model are also not being released at this time.
The motive for the shooting is still under investigation and there remains no active threat to the community.
We are also relieved to report that, per the Maryland State Police spokesperson, the Trooper that was injured in the exchange of gunfire with the suspect received non-life-threatening injuries and has been treated and released from Meritus Medical Center.
Source: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
