The man charged with murdering five people in the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday had previously been investigated over threatening comments toward staff members, Anne Arundel County Police Department Chief Tim Altomare said Friday.
In 2013, a detective had looked into the threatening remarks made by Jarrod Ramos, who was angry over coverage of him in The Capital newspaper, and spoke to representatives of Capital Gazette. No charges were filed — a decision that Altomare said was made out of “a fear that doing so would exacerbate an already flammable situation.”
That was one of several details to emerge in a news conference on Thursday’s shooting. Other revelations include the fact that police used a facial recognition system to help confirm Ramos’ identity. Altomare also said the suspect had tried to hide as officers cornered him roughly two minutes after the first 911 call came in.
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