Authorities: 3 dead, trooper wounded in Maryland shooting

A suspect opened fire at a business in western Maryland on Thursday, leaving three dead before the suspect and a state trooper were wounded in a shootout, authorities said.The Washington County Sheriffs Office said in a news release that three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg.

A suspect opened fire at a business in western Maryland on Thursday, leaving three dead before the suspect and a state trooper were wounded in a shootout, authorities said.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that three victims were found dead at Columbia Machine Inc. in Smithsburg. The suspect then fled in a vehicle and was tracked down by Maryland State Police, according to the news release. The suspect and a trooper were wounded in an exchange of gunfire, the sheriff's office said. Both were being treated for their wounds.

News photographs showed a large law enforcement presence, including emergency vehicles, at the scene.

Smithsburg, a community of nearly 3,000 people, is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore not far from the Maryland line with Pennsylvania.