A West Virginia man accused of fatally shooting three coworkers and wounding an officer responding to the scene in Maryland was indicted by a grand jury last week.
The Associated Press reported that 23-year-old Joe Louis Esquivel was indicted in two separate criminal cases on June 29 on charges of murder, attempted murder, assault and use of a firearm in a crime of violence.
According to authorities, Esquivel showed up at Columbia Machine Inc. for his regular shift on June 9, when he allegedly stopped working, left the building, retrieved a weapon, came back inside, and began shooting at coworkers near a breakroom, the news outlet reported.
Smithsburg police responded to a 911 call at around 2:30 p.m.
Once on scene, officers found a person wounded outside the business, according to the news outlet.
The AP reported that Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies found three dead victims inside the building.
According to the AP, the authorities said that after leaving the scene in a vehicle, Esquivel encountered Maryland State Police, whom he shot at, striking a 25-year veteran trooper.
The news outlet reported that Esquivel was struck when a trooper returned fire.
