Gunman found guilty of killing 5 people in newspaper | Gun Violence Stories

A judge on Thursday found a gunman who had killed five people in a Maryland newspaper who was shooting at him, denying any security reasons.

The judges needed less than two hours to find out that Jarrod Ramos was able to understand the violence he had committed and change the way he acted in accordance with the law when he attacked the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in 2018.

The ruling means that Ramos, 41, has been sentenced to prison terms, not a security checkpoint, for the most serious media offensive in the US. Opponents want to serve five years in prison without parole.

Survivors and their affected relatives, some with tears in their eyes, hugged each other outside the courtroom and shot at lawyers and judges as they passed after the verdict.

“Since this has been happening for three years, it has become a perpetual tragedy,” said Cindi Rittenour, whose sister, Rebecca Smith, died in the crash. “And then I feel this today – all my worries about it, all the wonders, the unknown, all gone now, and all I feel is relief and joy. I feel like my sister can start relaxing peacefully. ”

Rachael Pacella, a journalist who survived the demonstration, said she was relieved to hear the verdict of her co-accused.

“It’s been very stressful for the past three years with this in our head, and it seems the heavy load has gone up,” Pacella said outside the court.

Ramos had already pleaded guilty to all 23 charges against him in 2019 but did not charge him – a Maryland case of insanity.

The second phase of testing has been delayed several times, most recently due to the epidemic. The 12-day trial was mainly a war between health professionals who were summoned by defense attorneys and critics.

Ramos harbored resentment at the newspaper for a long time after a published article about his plea to sue his former high school classmate in 2011. He filed the lawsuit in 2012, alleging insults, but said he had no basis. His request failed.

Defense attorneys said Ramos had a history of fraud, as well as autism and compulsion. He says Ramos was fascinated by the idea that the story had ruined his life. When his complaint failed, his lawyers said he believed there was a serious conspiracy against him involving the courts and the press.

Critics, however, repeatedly pointed out the flaws in the mental health assessment of security, which relies primarily on questions from Ramos and his sister.

Wendi Winters, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen and Smith were killed in a 2018 beating at a newspaper office [Julio Cortez/AP Photo]

Critics say Ramos retaliated. He also said that his long-term planning, careful planning and tactics – including long-term arrests and arrests – have ensured that he understands the crime of his actions and is able to change his behavior according to the law.

They emphasized how Ramos called 911 from the press room after the shooting, identified himself as the shooter and told him to give it away – evidence that he understands the crime he committed. He was arrested while staring under a bedroom desk.

Anne Colt Leitess, attorney for the state of Anne Arundel County, said that although Ramos had a human condition such as narcissism, he did not have a mental illness that would give him a chance to be found not guilty of killing five people.

Leitess told the judges that Ramos considered himself the smartest of them all, and that his repeated court appearances were “difficult to bear, so he began plotting revenge.” Leitess also said that Ramos is concerned that bullying in his class is preventing him from dating women.

Leitess told the judges that she initially wanted to attack the building with the appeals courts but changed her mind when it came to police protection. Instead, he focused on the soft intentions of the newspaper.

The trial began last month, three years and a day after the assassination of Wendi Winters, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen and Smith at the newspaper office in a mansion in Maryland on June 28, 2018.