NAPLES, Fla. - A former employee of Capital Gazette, now living in Naples, says the man suspected of shooting and killing 5 people Thursday began threatening the Maryland newspaper in 2011.
Fox 4 sat down with Tom Marquardt who says he tried to warn police about Jarrod Ramos.
"First there was the devastation of losing people who you work very closely with, who you consider friends and family, and then there was the second devastation that came when I knew the shooter," said Marquardt, who retired in 2012 after three decades with the newspaper.
He worked with four of the five victims in Friday's shooting. Marquardt was with the newspaper when it did a story about a stalking case Ramos was involved in. Ramos unsuccessfully sued the newspaper, then started posting threats online against the paper.
"It was along the lines of I wish you were dead, I don't know how you get more specific than that. Another one was: "I hope you stop breathing", with photos of people that had died," said Marquardt.
Marquardt says he told local police about the threats, but was told there wasn't anything they could do.
"It is frustrating, I'm disappointed there wasn't more substance to our complaint."
Marquardt believes a hostile attitude toward the media, magnified by social media is contributed to this shooting.
"It's counterproductive to vilify the media, which is exercising it's first amendment rights, just as those who bear weapons, are exercising their second amendment rights."
Marquardt says the newspaper considered filing a restraining order against Ramos, but was afraid it would aggravate him further.
