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Who was Fantahun Woldesenbet? Maryland Navy medic who shot 2 sailors killed at Fort Detrick base after chase

One of the two service members who was shot is now out of danger. The second victim's condition is still critical

FREDERICK, MARYLAND: An active-duty Navy hospital corpsman shot two fellow servicemen before being killed by Army personnel when he bypassed a security checkpoint at Fort Detrick on Tuesday morning, April 6. All three men, including the suspect identified as Fantahun Woldesenbet, were employees at the Biological Defense Research Directorate.

After the incident, the victims were flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma, where they were initially said to be serious. However, later it was said that one of the two service members was out of danger and was expected to get discharged on Wednesday, April 7. The second victim's condition is still critical.

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Tommy Lamkin, a spokesman for the Naval Medical Research Center, said, “The command’s main focus is on casualty assistance making sure that family members have the resources available for counseling. As well as for the staff that was there and that was affected. The command is focused on letting the investigation happen.” US Army Garrison Fort Detrick Commander Colonel Dexter Nunnally also responded to the incident, saying: “Our number one priority is the safety of our people. Our emergency responders are well trained for these types of situations and the fast response of our military police enabled us to contain this threat quickly.”

As per reports, the accused naval serviceman Woldesenbet, 38, was a working member of the Navy from Frederick, Maryland. The reason and the motive behind the shooting have not yet been released. According to police, Woldesenbet first gunned down the victims, whose identities have also not been released, before driving towards Fort Detrick, a nearby Army base. However, before he could do more harm at the base, a "be on the lookout" alert was issued by Frederick Police to officials at the base.

Reports stated that after reaching a Fort Detrick checkpoint, the suspect first stopped. But when Army officers tried to confirm his identity, he attempted to escape. Woldesenbet went around a half-mile down the road toward the base before he was gunned down and killed by the officers. Police later confirmed that only one person was involved in the April 6 incident and there is no existing threat to the public.

Frederick Police also shared a tweet about the "active shooter incident". The department wrote, “We are on scene responding to an active shooter in the 8400 block of Progress Drive. Currently there are two victims and one suspect is down.” Another tweet from the department read, “Please avoid the area of Progress Drive and Opposumtown Pike.”

Several people on Twitter also reacted to the incident. One person said, “If we had gun reform, police officers every where would be safer!” Another commented, “Praying for the safety of the men and women that work diligently to protect our communities.” Another person remarked that such an incident in Frederick, Maryland, was not "an everyday thing."

“Good thing we ensure easier access to guns than voting!” another user said sarcastically, while another one added: “Heartbroken that there has now been a mass shooting in my town.  Sad for the victims and their families. Angry that this is a trend.”