3 Victims Of Shooting At Maryland Home Identified
BROOKEVILLE, Md. (WJZ) -- Police identified the three victims who were fatally shot in a sprawling Brookeville home Monday as they investigated the man who opened fire on them.
Craig Harold Shotwell was 54. He was a contractor from Owings Mills, and according to his company's biography, had two children.
Shotwell was there to work on a deck when police say Christopher Snyder, the 41-year-old gunman who lived next door, followed his wife to the house.
Authorities say Snyder had been holding his wife hostage for days when she escaped there.
Dr. Mary Ann Olson, the 66-year-old homeowner, desperately tried to calm Snyder.
Her friend, 70-year-old Danny Lee Murphy, was visiting from South Dakota. He had stopped over at the Olson home on his way to Ocean City. He also died at the scene.
Authorities say none of the victims had any prior problems with the gunman.
Three others, including the victim's wife, were able to escape unharmed when Snyder ran back to his own home and barricaded himself inside for hours.
Police breached the front door around 11 p.m. Monday. Snyder then turned the gun on himself.
WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren learned Snyder was a federally-licensed gun dealer. He listed the Brookeville address as that of Black Widow LLC, a gun business.
Locksmiths were on hand to open some of the many gun cases for his arsenal, but they declined to comment citing the ongoing investigation. ATF agents were also at the scene, along with lead investigators with Montgomery County Police.
According to published reports, Snyder also claimed to have served in the Armed Services, including several "confidential" missions. He listed that as the reason to seal a divorce filing in Howard County, where he lived prior to Brookeville.
"He took innocent lives," said Marie, who watched the massive police reponse in the neighborhood from her job at the nearby general store. "Something should have been done to stop this from happening."
Montgomery County Police say Snyder was known to them but did not elaborate.
"We had a number of different contacts in the past," said Chief Tom Manger.
911 dispatchers report hearing gunshots as emergency calls were coming in Monday afternoon.
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