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West Virginia man faces 25 charges in fatal workplace shooting inside Maryland manufacturing plant

Police say Joe Louis Esquivel, 23, worked his normal shift at the manufacturing plant, went to his car, and returned to a breakroom where he shot coworkers to death.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. — Editor's Note: Police say the photo of the suspect is an older mugshot, not a current booking photo. 

A West Virginia man is officially charged with the fatal workplace shooting that claimed three lives at a manufacturing plant in Maryland. Joe Louis Esquivel, a 23-year-old man from Hedgesville, West Virginia, who was employed at Columbia Machine, Inc., is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, in addition to 22 other related charges. 

The shooting took place in Washington County, Maryland, around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Police caught the suspected shooter around Maplesville Road and Aetna Road in Maryland after he attempted to flee the area.

Mark Alan Fry, 50, Charles Edward Minnick Jr., 31, and Joshua Robert Wallace, 30, - Esquivel's co-workers - all died from the shooting in the manufacturing plant. An additional victim, 42-year-old Brandon Chase Michael, was critically injured in the shooting.

Officials say that the victims of the shooting and the suspected shooter were all employees of the manufacturing plant on Bikle Road. Officials say the suspect went to work for his normal shift at the manufacturing plant and worked throughout the day. 

The suspect went to his car and walked back into the building and started to shoot inside the breakroom area at fellow employees, police said.

Officials said the suspect fled the scene in a bronze Mitsubishi Eclipse and that Maryland State Police officers quickly found the suspect. 

During this time, officers and the suspect shot at each other, wounding both the suspect and an officer. Both were sent for medical treatment.

Below is a list of what Esquivel has been charged with.

  1. Murder 1st Degree
  2. Murder 1st Degree
  3. Murder 1st Degree
  4. Murder 2nd Degree
  5. Murder 2nd Degree
  6. Murder 2nd Degree
  7. Assault 1st Degree
  8. Assault 1st Degree
  9. Assault 1st Degree
  10. Assault 2nd Degree
  11. Assault 2nd Degree
  12. Assault 2nd Degree
  13. Attempted 1st Degree Murder
  14. Attempted 2nd Degree Murder
  15. Assault 1st Degree
  16. Assault 2nd Degree
  17. Reckless Endangerment
  18. Assault 1st Degree
  19. Assault 2nd Degree
  20. Reckless Endangerment
  21. Handgun in Vehicle
  22. Loaded Handgun in Vehicle
  23. Handgun on Person
  24. Loaded Handgun on Person
  25. Firearm Use/Fel-Viol Crime

Officials say that Esquivel is being held in the Washington County Detention Center without bond.

WUSA9 will be following the developments of this case and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

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