ANNAPOLIS, MD — Jarrod Ramos, the accused gunman in the deadly June 28 Capital Gazette shootings that killed five newspaper employees, has pleaded not guilty to the 23 criminal charges filed against him, prosecutors said Monday.
Attorneys for Ramos, 38, of Laurel, filed motions for a speedy trial and discovery on Monday, and entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. The actions were procedural, said State’s Attorney Wes Adams, who said Ramos did not appear in court Monday either in person or via video appearance.
A judge has set a status conference to schedule hearings for motions and a trial, which will occur within 30 days from, Adams said.
Ramos is being held without bond on five counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Wendi Winters, Robert Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara and Rebecca Ann Smith. He also faces a charge of attempted first-degree murder of photographer Paul Gillespie, six counts of first-degree assault and 11 counts of use of a firearm in commission of a crime of violence.
Gillespie said as he was trying to escape the Capital Gazette building in Annapolis, he heard a gunshot. “I did feel a breeze blow past my right side,” he said, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Police say Ramos was found hiding under a desk after the deadly shooting when they took him into custody. Officials say he used a shotgun in the rampage.
Retired Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski has joined the effort to persuade President Trump to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Winters, who supporters say faced down the accused gunman with no more of a weapon than her trash and recycling bins.
“Wendi Winters gave her life, along with 4 other victims, to protect the lives of her colleagues,” wrote Mikulski, who received the nation’s highest civilian honor in 2015. “Using her trash and recycling bins as weapons, Ms. Winters charged fearlessly towards her attacker, yelling for him to stop. Many have said that this act of bravery distracted the gunman, giving her colleagues an opportunity to flee.”
Members of Maryland’s Democratic Congressional delegation sent a letter earlier this month to the White House urging President Trump to consider Winters for the honor, which has traditionally been awarded to those who have made meritorious contributions to the security of the United States, to world peace, to culture or to other significant endeavors.
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According to eyewitness accounts from survivors of the June 28 shooting, Winters armed herself with the closest weapons at hand – her trash and recycling bins – and charged the shooter, shouting for him to stop. It is believed that Wendi’s actions distracted the shooter enough to enable several of her coworkers to escape, said Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, in a statement.
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An Influx of Support
In the month since the mass shooting, employees of the Capital Gazette have received immense support from around the country. The Capital Gazette Family Fund was set up to support the families of the victims, and the survivors, of the shooting. It has raised over $685,000. Proceeds from Saturday’s Annapolis Rising: A Benefit for The Capital Gazette and Free Press Event, with headliners Good Charlotte, will also go into the fund. With the help of sponsors, nearly all proceeds are going to support the Capital Gazette Family Fund.
Journalists nationwide have offered to help out at the Capital Gazette, assisting in any way possible.
The newly created Capital Gazette Memorial Scholarship already has had over $125,000 in donations
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Pictured of the accused gunman Jarrod Ramos, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police
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