Jerry Jackson, Baltimore Sun
Maryland Gov. Hogan addresses the media after a shooting at the Annapolis Capital.
SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images
Police respond to a shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, June 28, 2018. Several people were feared killed Thursday in a shooting at the building that houses the Capital Gazette, a daily newspaper published in Annapolis, a historic city an hour east of Washington.
Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun
The Media staging area is seen from the parking lot in front of Nordstrom's in the Annapolis Mall.The staging area is across the street from where a shooter killed and wounded several people from the Annapolis Capital Gazette.
Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun
Laurel police officer at 4 th street near Armstrong Ct.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
An unidentified mourner grieves at a small memorial set up at the entrance of 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
Police respond to a shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis.
Thalia Juarez, Baltimore Sun Media Group
Reporters remain at the scene across the building where The Capital office is located following a tragic shooting in the newsroom on Thursday, June 28. Earlier in the day a gunman entered the newsroom and killed five staff members.
Capital Gazette
Chase Cook, government reporter for The Capital makes phone calls while in the parking garage of the mall across the street from the offices.
Joshua McKerrow, Baltimore Sun Media Group
Deputy Chief Bill Krampf talks with the press about the mass shooting at The Capital Newspaper in Annapolis that left five people dead.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
Mourners grieve at a small memorial set up at the entrance of 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Joshua McKerrow, Baltimore Sun Media Group
Deputy Chief Bill Krampf talks with the press about the mass shooting at The Capital Newspaper in Annapolis that left five people dead.
Thalia Juarez, Baltimore Sun Media Group
Police remain at the scene of the deadly shooting that occurred earlier in the day at The Capital newspaper in Annapolis.
Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun
Pictures taken from the Media staging area in the mall parking lot at Nordstrom's across the street from where a shooter killed and wounded several people from the Annapolis Capital Gazette.
SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images
A member of the FBI responds to a shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, June 28, 2018.
Jerry Jackson / Baltimore Sun
Police provide an update at a media staging area near Bestgate and Commerce Park.
Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun
Md. State police in red at apartment complex in Laurel.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs , Baltimore Sun
Police and ATF presence at apartment complex at 4th and Armstrong in Laurel. Photo by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Baltimore Sun
Jose Luis Magana / AP
Authorities stage at the building entrance after multiple people were shot at The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, June 28, 2018.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
Police respond to a shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, (brown building - left) where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Susan Walsh / AP
Police secure the scene of a shooting at the building housing The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, June 28, 2018.
AP
In this frame from video, people leave the Capital Gazette newspaper after multiple people have been shot on Thursday, June 28, 2018, in Annapolis, Md.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
A newspaper and a reporter's notepad are among some of the items left at a memorial at the entrance of 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Jerry Jackson, Baltimore Sun
Sheriff department members stand outside 888 Bestgate Road after a shooting at the Annapolis Capital.
Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun
Police and ATF presence at apartment complex at 4th and Armstrong in Laurel.
Jerry Jackson, Baltimore Sun
Police stage behind the Westfield Annapolis Mall after a shooting at the Annapolis Capital.
Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun
Laurel police secure scene at 4th Street and Armstrong Ct.
Thalia Juarez, Baltimore Sun Media Group
Photojournalist Joshua McKerrow makes phone calls late into the night covering the mass shooting that happened in The Capital newsroom Thursday, June 28.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
Officers walk towards the entrance of 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Jose Luis Magana / AP
Maryland police officers patrol the area after multiple people were shot at at The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, June 28, 2018.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
Police respond to a shooting reported at Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
An officer stands outside of the entrance to 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan speaks during a press conference following a shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, June 28, 2018.
Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun
Pictures taken from the Media staging area in the mall parking lot at Nordstrom's across the street from where a shooter killed and wounded several people from the Annapolis Capital Gazette.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun
Pictures taken from the Media staging area in the mall parking lot at Nordstrom's across the street from where a shooter killed and wounded several people from the Annapolis Capital Gazette.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
An unidentified mourner grieves at a small memorial set up at the entrance of 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
A small memorial is set up at the entrance of 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
The scene outside 888 Bestgate, where an active shooter was in the Capital Gazette Newspaper office / newsroom, with heavy police, fire, and rescue presence.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
Officers walk towards the entrance of 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Wes Adams talks outside of District Court of Maryland on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Jerry Jackson, Baltimore Sun
A heavy police presence is seen outside 888 Bestgate Road after a shooting at the Annapolis Capital.
Jen Rynda / Capital Gazette / BSMG
A memorial is set up at the entrance of 888 Bestgate Road on Friday, June 29, 2018. A gunman blasted his way into the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis with a shotgun Thursday afternoon, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.
Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun
Police and ATF presence at apartment complex at 4th and Armstrong in Laurel.
Joshua McKerrow, Baltimore Sun Media Group
Lieutenant Ryan Frashure speaks with the press about the mass shooting at The Capital Newspaper in Annapolis that left five people dead.
Jose Luis Magana / AP
Police officers secure the area after multiple people were shot at an office building housing The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, June 28, 2018.
Thalia Juarez, Baltimore Sun Media Group
Capital reporters Pat Furgurson and Chase Cook say their goodbyes at a parking lot across the street from their workplace where five of their colleagues were killed in a shooting Thursday, June 28.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
Police respond to a shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis.
Jerry Jackson, Baltimore Sun
The Annapolis Capital is located at 888 Bestgate Road.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
Police respond to a shooting reported at Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis.
Joshua McKerrow / Capital Gazette
Police respond to a shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis.
SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images
Police respond to a shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, June 28, 2018. At least five people were killed Thursday when a gunman opened fire inside the offices of the Capital Gazette, a newspaper published in Annapolis.
Jerry Jackson, Baltimore Sun
A cyclist is turned around on Bestgate Road after a shooting at the Annapolis Capital.
Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs , Baltimore Sun
Police and ATF presence at apartment complex at 4th and Armstrong in Laurel. Photo by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Baltimore Sun
Maryland Gov. Hogan addresses the media after a shooting at the Annapolis Capital.
ExpandFrom the moment gunfire rang out at the Capital Gazette newsroom, journalists there began covering their own tragedy.
An intern at the Annapolis paper tweeted at 2:43 p.m. Thursday that there was an active shooter in the building, located at 888 Bestgate Road.
“Please help us,” Anthony Messenger wrote.
Staff members who were not in the newsroom rushed toward the building, not yet knowing that five of their colleagues had been killed. And once they got the news, they continued to seek information on what led to the deaths of their coworkers and friends.
From outside, Capital photographer Joshua McKerrow took photos of the massive police presence that enveloped the building, which also houses more than two dozen other businesses.
“Police response for shooting in my newsroom,” he posted as a photo caption on Twitter.
And reporter Phil Davis — once he was evacuated from the newsroom — provided the most detailed account of the massacre he witnessed. His words would end up woven into an article on his newspaper’s website, a place his name typically only appears as a byline.
Davis described the gunman shooting through the glass door of the office before opening fire on multiple employees.
“There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload,” he tweeted.
Davis is a police reporter. He said in an interview that while he writes about shootings and death “all the time,” it’s impossible to know how traumatizing it is to go through such a tragedy “until you’re there.”
Hours after the shooting, Capital reporters promised to continue covering their story.
“I can tell you this,” reporter Chase Cook tweeted. “We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow.”