--- description: Among the five people killed when a gunman opened fire in the offices of the Capital Gazette was editor and columnist Rob Hiaasen title: These Are the Victims of the Capital Gazette Shooting image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt234695283118e56c/6989343eab6d7777d76b3103/annapolis-shooting-newspaper-victims.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Crime](/tag/crime/) ## Crime Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These Are the Victims of the Capital Gazette Shooting by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 6:59 PM CUTPublished: Jun 29, 2018 2:06 AM CUT  Capital Gazette/AFP/Getty Images (4); Reuters by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 6:59 PM CUTPublished: Jun 29, 2018 2:06 AM CUT Five people were killed and at least three injured when a [gunman opened fire](http://time.com/5325611/capital-gazette-newspaper-shooting/ "undefined") in the offices of the _Capital Gazette_ newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland Thursday. All of the victims of the shooting were employees at the paper, police confirmed late Thursday. Among those killed was long-serving _Capital Gazette_ and _Baltimore Sun_ journalist Rob Hiaasen, his family confirmed. The other victims were identified as features reporter Wendi Winters, writer John McNamara, editorial page editor Gerald Fischman, and sales assistant Rebecca Smith, according to the Associated Press. > [](https://twitter.com/capgaznews/status/1012625503986044928) Police called the assault was a “targeted attack” on the newspaper’s offices. “He looked for his victims as he walked through the lower level,” acting Anne Arundel County Police Chief William Krampf told a news conference Thursday. Krampf confirmed that two of those [wounded suffered](https://apnews.com/01d23bc538ca4ae6b9b8feb3ef86f1fa "undefined") superficial wounds. Authorities had previously said that several people were gravely wounded, according to AP. The suspect, who has been [identified as Jarrod W. Ramos](http://time.com/5326056/capital-gazette-shooter-jarrod-w-ramos/ "undefined") by AP, was apprehended by police and taken into custody Thursday. Police have not officially released his identity. Ramos was charged with five counts of first-degree murder, according to AP. Here’s what to know about the victims of the Capital Gaette shooting: ## Rob Hiaasen  This image obtained from the Capital Gazette shows Capital Gazette Assistant Editor and Columnist Rob Hiaasen, one of the victims of the June 28, 2018, shooting at the newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. Handout/Capital Gazette/AFP/Getty Images _Capital Gazette_ assistant managing editor Rob Hiaasen was [killed](https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/veteran-journalist-rob-hiaasen-dead-attack-paper-56251823 "undefined") in Thursday’s shooting, his family confirmed. “I am devastated and heartsick to confirm the loss of my wonderful brother Rob,” Hiaasen’s brother Carl wrote in a Facebook [post](https://www.facebook.com/CarlHiaasen/photos/rpp.129470913750864/1972363036128300/?type=3&theater "undefined"). “He spent his whole gifted career as a journalist, and he believed profoundly in the craft and mission of serving the public’s right to know the news. We called him Big Rob because he was so tall, but it was his remarkable heart and humor that made him larger than all of us.” Hiaasen, a [veteran](http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/bs-md-rob-hiaasen-20180628-story.html "undefined") at the paper, hailed from Fort Lauderdale, Fl. and lived in the nearby Maryland suburb Timonium, according to the Baltimore _Sun_. He joined the _Sun_ as a features writer in 1993, before moving over to the _Capital_, which the _Sun_ owns, as assistant editor in 2010\. He also authored a Sunday column in the “Life” section of the paper. He was known as a “great mentor” to young journalists who was “deadly serious about doing investigative reporting” but also had a “soft side,” his former colleagues told the _Sun._ Hiaasen was also an adjunct professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, and a 2004 Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University. Hiaasen, 59, is [survived](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article214028324.html "undefined") by his wife, Maria, with whom he had recently marked their 33rd wedding anniversary, three children, and brother Carl, who is a novelist and Miami _Herald_ columnist_._ “There was [no finer human being](http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-reg-rob-hiaasen-obit-20180628-story.html "undefined"), there just wasn’t,” Hiaasen’s widow, Maria, said Thursday, her 58th birthday, according to the Miami _Herald_, “And certainly no finer father, and he was a damn fine journalist too.” ## Wendi Winters  This image obtained from the Capital Gazette shows Capital Gazette Special Publications Editor Wendi Winters, one of the victims of the June 28, 2018, shooting at the newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. Handout/Capital Gazette/AFP/Getty Images Wendi Winters, 65, [came to the _Capital Gazette_](http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/annapolis/bs-md-wendi-winters-20180628-story.html "undefined") following a career in fashion and public relations, according to the Baltimore _Sun_. The mother of four quickly became known as an energetic freelance reporter and knowledgable source about local events in the community. “My mother was a wonderful woman and a fantastic reporter,” said her daughter, Winter Geimer. “Her life was a gift to everyone who knew her and the world will not be the same without her. We are grieving and trying to make sure all of us can be together to celebrate the life of our mother.” > [](https://twitter.com/capgaznews/status/1012537139630886912) Winters, who joined the paper’s staff in 2013, enjoyed a full life outside the newsroom, as a “proud Navy mom,” a church youth group counselor, Red Cross volunteer and a Girl Scout leader, according to the _Sun_. She was also known for her exhaustive Christmas letters, according to friends, which were often delivered along with a home-baked treat. ## Gerald Fischman  This image obtained from the Capital Gazette shows Capital Gazette Editorial Page Editor Gerald Fischman, one of the victims of the June 28, 2018, shooting at the newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. Handout/Capital Gazette/AFP/Getty Images Gerald Fischman was “[the conscience and voice](http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/annapolis/bs-md-gerald-fischman-20180628-story.html "undefined")” of the _Capital Gazette_, colleagues said Thursday, paying tribute to the eccentric and “brilliant” editorial page editor. Fischman, 61, had been at the paper since 1992, where he was known for an incisive intellect and trademark cardigans, according to the Baltimore _Sun_. > [](https://twitter.com/baltimoresun/status/1012521507044646913) “He was extraordinarily knowledgeable about the political dynamics of the community,” Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch told the _Sun_, calling Fischman “a bit of a loner, but very, very intelligent. He was a respected writer and captured, for the most part, the feelings within the community.” Fischman married later in life, to a Mongolian opera singer, his colleagues said. Fischman graduated in 1979 from the University of Maryland’s journalism school. ## John McNamara  This image obtained from the Capital Gazette shows Capital Gazette writer John McNamara, one of the victims of the June 28, 2018, shooting at the newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. Handout/Capital Gazette/AFP/Getty Images John McNamara, known as “Mac” to his colleagues, was a sociable [sports reporter](http://www.capitalgazette.com/bs-md-john-mcnamara-20180628-story.html "undefined") with a nearly 24-year tenure at the _Capital Gazette_, according to the Baltimore _Sun_. He was known for his wit, “infectious laugh,” and encyclopedic knowledge of local sports. McNamara was also a news editor and reporter for the local Bowie Blade-_News_ and Crofton-West County _Gazette_. Former _Capital_ editor Gerry Jackson, who hired McNamara from a local competitor recalled the writer’s “versatility”. “He could write. He could edit. He could design pages. He was just a jack of all trades and a fantastic person,” Jackson said. > [](https://twitter.com/capgaznews/status/1012536923942989824) McNamara graduated from the University of Maryland, where he met his future wife, Andrea Chamblee. The couple did not have any children. McNamara wrote two books, about the school’s football and basketball programs, and was a music fan and film buff. In a recent Facebook [post](https://www.facebook.com/john.mcnamara.54584/posts/2119463888068491 "undefined"), where he frequently shared articles about news, journalism, and University of Maryland sports, McNamara urged his friends to watch two documentaries, _Won’t You Be My Neighbor_ about Fred Rogers and _RGB_, about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “Both are marvelous and moving. And, in these troubled times, when the forces of darkness seem to have gained the upper hand, it’s nice to be reminded that there is still justice and kindness in the world,” McNamara wrote. ## Rebecca Smith  Rebecca Smith, one of the victims of the shooting at the offices of the Capital Gazette newspaper office in Annapolis, Maryland, U.S., June 28, 2018 is seen in this undated photo obtained by Reuters. Handout/Reuters Rebecca Smith, 34, was a sales assistant and recent addition to the _Capital Gazette_‘s team in Annapolis when she was killed in Thursday’s shooting. Smith was “[a very thoughtful person](http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/annapolis/bs-md-ar-rebecca-smith-20180628-story.html "undefined")” who kept the sales office operations on track, said the _Capital_‘s advertising director Marty Padden. “She was kind and considerate, and willing to help when needed. She seemed to really enjoy to be working in the media business.” > [](https://twitter.com/capgaznews/status/1012537026413985792) Smith, a Baltimore native, joined the paper in Nov. 2017, according to her Facebook page. She had previously worked in marketing at a healthcare organization, according to the _Sun_. Smith posted numerous photos on her Facebook page, the _Sun_ said, many of them including her fiancé and his daughter at softball games and group outings. She enjoyed “an amazing relationship” with her fiancé’s daughter from a previous relationship, according to a friend. “This cant be real,” Smith’s fiancé, DJ Poling, [wrote](https://www.facebook.com/djay.poling "undefined") on his Facebook page. “No one ever put up with or attempted to make me a better person like you did. I will love you forever.” “Til we meet again beautiful, til we meet again.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5326090/capital-gazette-maryland-shooting-victims/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5326090/capital-gazette-maryland-shooting-victims/"},"headline":"These Are the Victims of the Capital Gazette Shooting","datePublished":"2018-06-29T02:06:49.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T18:59:53.000Z","description":"Five people were killed and three injured in the shooting Thursday","url":"https://time.com/5326090/capital-gazette-maryland-shooting-victims/","keywords":["Crime","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt234695283118e56c/6989343eab6d7777d76b3103/annapolis-shooting-newspaper-victims.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eli Meixler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eli/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt234695283118e56c/6989343eab6d7777d76b3103/annapolis-shooting-newspaper-victims.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Annapolis-Shooting-Newspaper-Victims","caption":"The victims of the June 28, 2018, shooting at the newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.","creditText":"Capital Gazette/AFP/Getty Images (4); Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/crime/","name":"Crime"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5326090/capital-gazette-maryland-shooting-victims/","name":"These Are the Victims of the Capital Gazette Shooting"}}]}] ```