HARFORD COUNTY, MD — A woman used a handgun to shoot seven people, three of whom ultimately died, at a Rite Aid warehouse in Perryman on Thursday. Because the shooter then also killed herself, her motives are so far unknown, but the third mass workplace shooting in Maryland in a year’s time has resurfaced a discussion about gun laws and mental health treatment.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said Snochia Moseley, 26, of Baltimore County, was a temporary employee of the facility who was reporting for her normal work day when around 9 a.m. the shooting began. Two of the victims died at the scene and one died at the hospital, according to Gahler.
The shooter used a 9 mm Glock and began firing outside the building before moving inside, he added. It was not known whether the shooter had a relationship with any of the victims or if they were all employed by Rite Aid.
Baltimore County Executive Don Mohler said gun violence was a “cancer” that required a cure. “Doing nothing at a time when gun violence is terrorizing our communities is nonsense, plain and simple,” Mohler said in a statement. “Now, more than ever, is the time to act. … If we pass this cancer onto the next generation, the blood will be on our hands.”
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This “is becoming a too-often occurrence, not only in Harford County but in the country,” Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said.
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Initial comments by political leaders voiced support for the victims and first responders. Only Maryland’s junior senator, Chris Van Hollen, broached gun violence on Thursday morning. “My heart is with the families and victims of those impacted. But words are not enough, we must do more to end the toll of gun violence in our communities,” he tweeted.
While authorities say Moseley had legally purchased and registered the gun she used in the shootings, Sen. Ben Cardin said Thursday evening that “thoughts and prayers may provide some brief consolation, but taking definitive action so no other families have to go through today’s pain and suffering is what is required.”
Commonsense measures that have already been introduced in Congress can reduce gun violence, Cardin said. “There is no rational reason we should not close the loophole that allows some gun purchases to occur without a background check or reinstate the assault weapons ban.”
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said in a statement that while thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, that is not enough. “As a nation, we dishonor their memories if we do nothing further.”
The campaign noted the rarity of a female shooter; according to a 2014 FBI study, of the 160 active shooter incidents in the U.S. between 2000 and 2013, only 3.8 percent of attacks involved a female shooter.
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was lobbied for gun control measures since she was seriously wounded by a shooter at a public event several years ago, tweeted, “Three workplace active shooting attacks in just the last 24 hours should spark outrage in every American. No matter where you work, learn, play, or live — you have a right to feel safe, and I’m horrified that that’s no longer the reality in America.”
Maryland Gun Laws, Proposals
The state’s gun laws were in the spotlight a month ago when David Katz of Baltimore was the gunman in a mass shooting at a video game convention in Florida. Police said Katz killed three people, including himself, at the Madden NFL 19 tournament in Jacksonville. Katz brought two handguns and extra ammunition with him to the gaming tournament; he had purchased the guns in Maryland.
Katz underwent hospitalization at Sheppard Pratt in Towson before his parents divorced, according to The Baltimore Sun. The hospital specializes in mental health treatment. He also spent more than 90 days in a wilderness program for troubled teens in Utah and had stays in other treatment centers for mental health issues that ranged from dysthymia (persistent depression) to schizophrenia, WBAL reported. At one point, he reportedly experienced a schizophrenic break. At other times, he was violent with his mother, according to the news station.
During the primary season, Gov. Hogan told WBAL for its voters guide that the rights of gun owners can be upheld while making it harder for criminals and the mentally ill to obtain firearms. He supports “red flag” legislation that would allow family members or law enforcement to seek a court order that would keep someone from possessing firearms or ammunition if they were deemed by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others.
Hogan also backs legislation to strengthen an existing law to prohibit anyone convicted of domestic violence from possessing firearms. He also wants Maryland to ban “bump stocks,” devices that turn legal firearms into prohibited automatic weapons.
And Hogan said he has previously called for federal action to institute a universal background check system.
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