Snochia Moseley, the woman who shot six people at a Rite Aid distribution center in Harford County Thursday, had been diagnosed with a mental disorder two years ago, according to the county sheriff.
Sheriff Jeff Gahler said Moseley, 26, was diagnosed with a mental illness in 2016, but was able to purchase a 9-mm Glock 17 handgun legally last March.
Police said that under state law, a history of mental illness alone would not bar someone from owning a gun. The person must also display a propensity for violence against himself/herself or others in order to be forbidden from owning a gun.
Gahler said Moseley had become increasingly agitated recently.
"Friends and family members relayed to detectives that over the last two weeks that she had become increasingly agitated, and that they were concerned for her well-being," he said.
He said Moseley shot one victim outside the warehouse on Perryman Road, then went inside, shooting 13 times, killing three people, and injuring three more before she shot herself twice in the head.
Gahler said investigators have not determined a motive, but are looking at the distribution center's security camera footage.
"It appears that she was certainly targeting individuals," he said. "How well she was taking aim--from the little bit of the footage that I saw myself--she was moving pretty quickly, so not taking a lot of time to aim."
Victims identified
Police identified those killed as: Sunday Aguda, a 45-year-old male from Baltimore County, Brindra Giri, a 41-year-old female from Baltimore County, Hayleen Reyes, a 41-year-old female from Baltimore City.
Those who were shot but survived are: Hassan Mitchell, a 19-year-old male from Harford County, a Wilfredo Villegas, 45-year-old male from Montgomery County, Acharya Purna, a 45-year-old female from New York.
The shooting came less than a year after a gunman killed three people at a granite counter maker in Edgewood.
"Unfortunately, we’ve been impacted by more than our fair share of these types of events," Gahler said at a news conference Thursday. "And as tragic as they are, we know, and we’ve seen that they can happen anywhere in a moment’s notice and they do and they are devastating to the communities where they occur.”
He said local and federal law enforcement officers were called to the distribution center, a 2,010 square foot warehouse near Aberdeen, shortly after 9 a.m.
"We were on scene just in over five minutes," he said. "Arriving law enforcement, fire, and EMS units quickly paired up together and got into the building, and ordered a render first aid where appropriate."
They were joined by agents from the FBI office in Baltimore and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Authorities immediately evacuated the warehouse, where Rite Aid employs more than 400 people.
The injured, including Moseley, were taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, the nearest hospital with a trauma unit. Moseley died at the hospital.
Officials said they had issued search warrants for several addresses in Baltimore County where they believe Moseley lived.
They set up a reunification center for families of survivors at the Level Volunteer Firehouse, about 15 minutes away in Havre De Grace. Survivors had been taken to an undisclosed location to be interviewed by investigators.
Lieutenant Larry Mabe, a 46 year veteran of emergency services and a volunteer at the firehouse, said he is used to events like these.
"You know it’s a tragedy, but the community, especially this community of Lowell, Havre De Grace, Aberdeen really, really pulls together," he said.
Within hours after the shooting Governor Larry Hogan tweeted, 'Our prayers are with all those impacted, including our first responders. The State stands ready to offer any support."
Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said Thursday that Hogan "offered all of his resources available under state government."
Police say Moseley was originally from Trenton, N.J. Her Facebook account says she graduated from Overlea High School in 2010.
She wrote on Facebook that she was a mellow type of person, social and sometimes quiet and kept to herself. She also wrote that her favorite Bible verse is Exodus, chapter 21, verse 24: "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."
Rachel Baye contributed to this report.
This post has been updated.