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.
- Murder 1st Degree
- Murder 1st Degree
- Murder 1st Degree
- Murder 2nd Degree
- Murder 2nd Degree
- Murder 2nd Degree
- Assault 1st Degree
- Assault 1st Degree
- Assault 1st Degree
- Assault 2nd Degree
- Assault 2nd Degree
- Assault 2nd Degree
- Attempted 1st Degree Murder
- Attempted 2nd Degree Murder
- Assault 1st Degree
- Assault 2nd Degree
- Reckless Endangerment
- Assault 1st Degree
- Assault 2nd Degree
- Reckless Endangerment
- Handgun in Vehicle
- Loaded Handgun in Vehicle
- Handgun on Person
- Loaded Handgun on Person
- 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.