Capital Gazette Gunman Found Criminally Responsible

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After Jarrod Ramos was found criminally responsible for killing five people in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette, in Annapolis, Maryland, three years ago, the prosecutor who made the case to the jury said the case still hurts the community.

WTOP News reports Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess called the case “the most egregious case that our county has ever seen, and probably one of the worst in the state of Maryland,” adding, “I had police officers and first responders who I did not call in this case because they still suffer to this day.”

The jury’s decision will help the community, Leitess said: “I think having him held responsible here in our community means everything to the city of Annapolis and our county.”

Ramos admitted years ago that he shot up the newsroom in June 2018, but argued that he wasn’t criminally responsible — Maryland’s version of the insanity plea — and should be sent to a mental health facility rather than prison. The jury took less than two hours to disagree.

Instead, he’s facing five sentences of up to life without parole for the murders, Leitess said, adding, “I fully expect” he’ll be sentenced to those. He also faces a life sentence for attempted murder and multiple sentences of 20 to 25 years on related charges.

Leitess said the jury saw through Ramos’ attempts to turn the trial into “a media circus” centered on his grievances against the newspaper, and instead focused on his behavior and actions. “He wanted this trial for his amusement,” she said, “and he didn’t get it.”

She added, “A lot of people hear of this crime and think, ‘He must have been crazy; you must be crazy to commit this kind of crime.’ But he wasn’t. It was all about revenge. So I was extremely relieved and pleased with the jury’s verdict.”

Ramos’ defense attorneys left the courthouse without comment, WJZ reported.