A West Virginia man was charged with murdering three co-workers at a Maryland machine shop as well as attempted murder and other charges, authorities said late Friday.
The name of the alleged shooter, Joe Louis Esquivel, 23, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was also released by the Washington County sheriff’s office on Friday.
Esquivel, who was hospitalized after a shootout with police, is currently being held by the Washington County Detention Center on no bond.
Joe Louis Esquivel, 23, of Hedgesville, W.Va. (Washington County, Md., Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Authorities say Esquivel arrived Thursday morning for his normal shift at Columbia Machine Inc. in the small rural community of Smithsburg in western Maryland. He allegedly worked until he left the building to retrieve a weapon, went back inside and fired on employees in the area of a breakroom. Police responded to a 911 call at about 2:30 p.m….