Officials: Accused Gunman Wanted to Hurt and Kill As Many Possible.
BLITZER: We're getting some chilling new details tonight about the deadly attack on a newspaper in Maryland. Authorities now say the accused gunman barricaded the door, hoping to hurt and kill as many people as possible. CNN's Brian Todd is joining us now live from Annapolis. Brian, you were on the scene when this story was breaking yesterday. We've received a lot of new information since then. Update our viewers.</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have, Wolf, information from police, from prosecutors and from witnesses, information that put together, give us a portrayal of a suspect who had a lot of grievances against the newspaper and who authorities say methodically planned this massacre.</s>TODD (voice-over): Jarrod Ramos stormed the Annapolis office building, authorities say, armed with a shotgun and smoke grenades and opened fire. The 38-year-old Maryland man appearing in court today, facing five counts of first degree murder. Prosecutors say he executed a plan in the newspaper's offices so people could not escape as he began systematically hunting and killing.</s>WES ADAMS, ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY: There were two entrances to the offices in which this attack occurred. The rear door was barricaded. Mr. Ramos then as I told a judge entered the front door and worked his way through the office where he was shooting victims as he walked through the office.</s>TODD: Phil Davis, a crime reporter for the "Gazette" says Ramos fired through a newsroom window.</s>PHIL DAVIS, CRIME REPORTER, CAPITAL GAZETTE: At some point when I was listening to him reload, are we all going to die?</s>TODD: Police arrived on the scene in minutes. The suspect was found hiding under a desk.</s>POLICE: He's inside the Gazette office, the main office where all the under control. We got --</s>TODD: Ramos had a long-running feud with the paper, dating back to 2011 when "Gazette" published a story about Ramos' online harassment of a former female high school classmate. Ramos sent the woman messages, asking for help, calling her vulgar names and telling her to kill herself, according to "Gazette" article. Her attorney tells CNN she eventually left Maryland, hoping for a safer life away from Ramos.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was so scared and this was day after day after day of twittering, just tweets all over the place. Naming her, me, everyone else, that she finally just left. This was malevolence. He had an issue with this woman. I don't know what it was. But he did everything he could to destroy her life. And he succeeded.</s>TODD: According to court records, Ramos filed a defamation complaint in 2012 against the paper that was ultimately dismissed. Tom Marquardt was the editor and publisher of the "Capital Gazette" at the time. He says that Ramos threatened him and the writer of the story.</s>TOM MARQUARDT, FORMER EDITOR/PUBLISHER, CAPITAL GAZETTE: We have gotten threats in the past, but this one was particularly alarming because it was attached to a name. In previous complaints, oftentimes, it came across anonymously. And some comments he's making online were a bit off center.</s>TODD: Despite those threats, the paper chose not to file a restraining order against Ramos, believing that it would only inflame him, but they still warned their staff.</s>MARQUARDT: We were alarmed enough to at least contact police, ask them to look into it and alarmed enough to post his photo at our front desk in case he would come in the door. I had alerted my staff to call 911 if anybody resembling him came into the room.</s>TODD: Tonight, the victims of this local paper are being remembered. Wendi Winters was an editor and community reporter. She was a 65- year-old mother of four. "The Gazette" describes her as a prolific writer was beloved by the community she covered closely for years. Thirty-four-year-old sales assistant Rebecca Smith was a new hire to the paper who loved spending time with her family. Editorial page editor Gerald Fishman was known for bringing a quirky and clever voice to the paper. He was a quite, endearing figure in a newsroom full of characters. John McNamara known as "Mac" was a staff writer who worked his dream job, sports reporting. He is remembered for his wit and being a loyal friend. Assistant editor Rob Hiaasen, a mentor to all, who celebrated his 33 wedding anniversary last week, his brother is the author Carl Hiaasen</s>CARL HIAASEN, VICTIM'S BROTHER: He was killed while he was doing what he loved to do, which is to put out a newspaper for the people of Annapolis. He was proud of those reporters. The other editors and what he would want me to say is everything they do is for the readers, put news and facts in the hands of their readers. (</s>END VIDEOTAPE TODD: Given the idea of just the trail of fear that the suspect has left behind. The attorney for the woman who was harassed by Jarrod Ramos told us today that he spoke to his client today, and that even though Jarrod Ramos is behind bars, he and his client are still scared. Jarrod Ramos is held without bond tonight because the judge and the prosecutor say he is, quote, an overwhelming danger to the community -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Certainly is. Brian, there's new information tonight that police discussed a possible threat from Ramos to the newspaper some five years ago. Tell us about that.</s>TODD: That's right, Wolf. We've gotten some documents released by the Anne Arundel County police today. 2013 police report detailing threatening online statements that Jarrod Ramos made to the paper at the time. According to these documents released by the police, the officer who investigated those threats told employees of the newspaper at the time, he did not view Ramos as a threat to employees, because Ramos had never attempted to enter the building and has never sent direct threatening correspondents to employees. But they were aware of his menace back in 2013.</s>BLITZER: Brian Todd, reporting from Annapolis, thank you very much. Let's turn back to breaking news this hour. And the president's Supreme Court search. We are joined by CNN's Chris Cuomo. He's the anchor of "CUOMO PRIME TIME". Chris, the president is giving us some hints about how he is choosing his nominee to replace the associate Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. What do you make of this?</s>CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Well, he seems to be following the same pattern he did the last time, taking counsel from those around him. This is clearly not an area of expertise to a particular curiosity for the president. He has been telling people that he has this great list, that includes women. But I think the most pressing detail that we understand at this point is the speed with which he wants to get this done. It's clear that he believes momentum is now, and that the longer that this goes, the more chance there is for trouble. And I think that that's probably the exigency right now, as much as who is when, and getting it done quickly.</s>BLITZER: What about this prank phone call that the president took aboard Air Force One from a comedian, someone a lot of us used to hear on the Howard Stern Show? There are security ramifications from this, Chris.</s>CUOMO: There are. I don't understand how it happened, how Stuttering John got through to Air Force One, let alone got the president to believe that he was Senator Bob Menendez, and then the call itself was so bizarre. By the way, part of the insight that we understand about how the president's thinking about picking the judge is because of what he said in phone call. And it was such a -- I don't know if people have heard it, but they should listen to it. Bob Menendez, of course, New Jersey Democrat, was in trial and was somewhat of a controversial figure certainly for the Republican Party. And to hear the president start off the call by congratulating Menendez in what seems to be a nod to him beating the case and he even says, we're all proud of you and, you know, we're glad you made it through would seem like an unfair situation. Just bizarre to hear the president talk that way to somebody who was facing that kind of legal trouble. And, you know, I don't know how it happen, Wolf. I just -- I don't get. I've seen all this stuff online but I don't know what's true.</s>BLITZER: Yes, they've got to figure this out and make sure it doesn't happen again. Nothing sinister, just prank this time, but if a bad person domestic, or an international figure gets through to the president and the president beliefs what he's hearing, that could be serious. The Chris Cuomo show, "CUOMO PRIME TIME" tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, two hours tonight. We'll be watching. "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.