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Maryland Newspaper Gunman Pleads Guilty

VOA News

   The gunman who allegedly killed five people in the office of theCapital
   Gazettenewspaper last year has pleaded guilty but not criminally
   responsible.

   James Ramos, who prosecutors say had a long-standing grudge against the
   Maryland newspaper, was set to go on trial later this week.

   He had earlier pleaded not guilty and not criminally responsible. If
   Judge Laura Ripken accepts Ramos's new plea, the court will likely
   forgo a trial on whether he actually murdered his victims and move
   straight to whether he was responsible for his actions.

   Ramos is accused of bursting into theGazette'sbuilding in June 2018 and
   killing four reporters and an office assistant.

   Prosecutors say Ramos had lost a defamation suit against the newspaper
   when it published a story about him pleading guilty to harassing a
   former high school classmate.

   The state planned to show surveillance video at his criminal trial of
   what the prosecutors say was Ramos walking through the newsroom
   "hunting" for victims.

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