West Virginia man charged with murder in Thursday shooting near Smithsburg

Authorities believe a Hedgesville, W.Va., area resident who worked at Columbia Machine near Smithsburg took a break from his work shift Thursday to retrieve a weapon from his car and then returned to the building and began shooting co-workers.

Joe Louis Esquivel, 23, was charged with three counts of first- and second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of three Washington County residents, according to a news release sent Friday night by the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Esquivel also was charged with attempted first-degree and attempted second-degree murder in the shooting of co-worker Brandon Chase Michael, 42, according to Sgt. Carly Hose, spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.

A Maryland State Police trooper was shot during a shootout after Esquivel fled the Smithsburg-area business. The shootout occurred near the roundabout of Mapleville and Mount Aetna roads, about 6.5 miles southwest of the first shooting site at the 12921 Bikle Road business.

According to Washington County District Court records online, Esquivel also was charged by the county state's attorney's office through a state police complaint.

Those charges include two counts each of attempted first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. Other charges include two counts each of first- and second-degree assault and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony/violent crime.

In both cases, the charges through the sheriff's office and state police, arrest warrants were issued Thursday and served on Friday, according to online court records.

According to the sheriff's office, the Columbia Machine workers killed Thursday were:

• Mark Alan Frey, 50, of Hagerstown

• Charles "C.J." Edward Minnick Jr., 31, of Smithsburg

• Joshua Robert Wallace, 30, of Hagerstown

State police had not publicized the trooper's name as of Friday night, but the trooper was released Thursday night from Meritus Medical Center, according to the sheriff's office.

The trooper is a 25-year veteran of the force, assigned to the Criminal Enforcement Division Western Region, according to state police.

More: Scenes from Smithsburg following mass shooting that killed 3 and injured 2 more

What we know about Thursday's shootings in the Smithsburg area

As of Saturday afternoon, police had not announced a motive for the shootings and the investigation was continuing.

With the assistance of the Berkeley County (W.Va.) Sheriff’s Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, authorities searched Esquivel's West Virginia residence, the Washington County Sheriff's Office announced Friday.

Additional firearms were found, but details were not provided.

Esquivel was taken to Meritus Medical Center on Thursday, but as of Friday night was being held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center, according to the sheriff's office.

The investigation so far has revealed the suspect reported to work Thursday for his normal shift and worked through the day, according to the sheriff's office.

At some point before 2:30 p.m., he "exited the building, retrieved a weapon from his vehicle, and reentered the business. The suspect proceeded to the area of the break room and begin to fire upon employees," according to the sheriff's office.

Esquivel then left in his car, a bronze Mitsubishi Eclipse, before police arrived.

Sheriff's deputies "quickly put out a broadcast for a vehicle and a suspect and a sense of direction" said Lt. Col. Bill Dofflemyer of Maryland State Police.

Three state troopers were driving north on Mapleville Road (Md. 66) toward the Smithsburg-area scene when they encountered a vehicle matching that description.

"When troopers went to stop the vehicle, the suspect immediately started firing multiple rounds at the troopers," Dofflemyer said. "The troopers returned fire, striking the suspect."

Smithsburg police were first to arrive at the Bikle Road scene, according to Sheriff Doug Mullendore. They "located an injured subject outside the business in a field," he said.

That injured person was Michael, who was taken to Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown. His condition and the nature of his injuries were not known Friday night.

Esquivel used a semi-automatic handgun at both scenes, according to the sheriff's office.

Semi-automatic guns require a trigger pull for each round.

More: Smithsburg mass shooting victims identified: Here's what we know

Mapleville Road was closed for hours Thursday as authorities investigated the scene just south of the roundabout. Three vehicles — a Ford SUV, a Chevrolet sedan and a Mitsubishi Eclipse — eventually were hauled away.

Officers from several agencies, including the Smithsburg Police Department, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, were at the scenes.

Bikle Manufacturing was purchased by Vancouver-based Columbia Machine Inc., in 2019. It is a big-board mold maker and repair services provider, according to its website.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: West Virginia man charged Friday in Smithsburg mass shooting at work