(FREDERICK, Md.) — One of the two men shot near Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, on Tuesday, allegedly by a fellow Navy hospital corpsman, remains in critical condition, officials said Wednesday.
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Carlos Portugal, 36, of Frederick, Maryland, is in critical condition, while U.S. Navy Hospitalman Casey Nutt, 26, of Germantown, Maryland, was released from the hospital on Tuesday night, federal and local officials said Wednesday.
They were shot Tuesday morning in Frederick’s Riverside Tech Park area, allegedly by 38-year-old Navy hospital corpsman Fantahun Girma Woldesenbet, authorities said.
After the shooting, the suspect traveled to nearby Fort Detrick where he was shot and killed by base personnel, police said. Base officials said he had been stationed at Fort Detrick.
The two victims were coworkers of the suspect, according to Tommy Lamkin, a spokesman for the Naval Medical Research Center. All three worked at the Biological Defense Research Directorate that belongs to the Naval Medical Research Center. Lamkin on Tuesday would not speculate on the nature of the relationship between the suspect and the victims.
“The command’s main focus is on casualty assistance making sure that family members have the resources available for counseling,” Lamkin said. “As well as for the staff that was there and that was affected. The command is focused on letting the investigation happen.”
Lando said about four minutes passed from the time the suspect entered the base to when he was neutralized. Police had issued a BOLO for his type of vehicle and he had been stopped for questioning at the main entrance. At that point Woldesenbet made his way around the guards and sped onto Fort Detrick, making it half a mile in before being cornered. He was then shot by the base’s quick reaction force and succumbed to his wounds after 20 minutes of efforts to save his life.
“The public is no longer at risk, everyone is safe. No officers were injured, and there were no other injuries to bystanders,” Lando said.
Brigadier Gen. Michael Talley, who is the commanding general at the base, said that everything was done “textbook.”
“And that certainly, ultimately, probably prevented further, further injuries and further loss,” he said.
Talley said there were no other injuries on base other than the suspect.
Authorities did not release a possible motive.
Police said the suspect used a rifle to carry out the shooting, but would not identify what type of rifle or caliber.
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