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Gazette Shooter to Plead Not Criminally Responsible

Jarrod Ramos
mug shot
Jarrod Ramos

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The man accused of killing five people at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity.

Lawyers for Jarrod Ramos said in a court filing Monday that the 39-year-old Ramos is not criminally responsible "because of a mental disorder." The filing also says he lacked the "capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct."

Ramos previously pleaded not guilty.

Five people were fatally shot in June 2018 in the Capital Gazette newsroom. Ramos was indicted on 23 charges in the attack, including first-degree murder.

If Ramos were found not criminally responsible, he could be confined to a mental health prison facility. A November trial has been set.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.