UPDATED, 10:33 AM: Conflicting reports are emerging after a mass shooting near a House of Cards set outside Baltimore. Media Rights Capital and Netflix now say that production on their show was “not impacted” by the shooting that left three people dead and two wounded in a nearby business park. “We have been in touch with local authorities and are aware of a shooting situation that happened about a mile away from the House of Cards set,” they said in a statement, “Production on the show has not been impacted.” Local authorities say the killer remains at large and have set a news conference for 2 PM ET.
PREVIOUSLY, 10:03 AM: Production on Season 6 of Netflix’s House of Cards near Baltimore was suspended today after three people were shot dead and two others wounded in what authorities called a “targeted attack” at a nearby business park. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect remains at large and that the FBI is involved in the manhunt.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said the area is on lockdown after the shooting, which took place just before 9 AM ET at the Emmorton Business Park in Edgewood, about 20 miles northeast of Baltimore. House of Cards happened to be filming nearby, and filming was halted as a precaution though it appears no one on the set was in immediate danger.
House of Cards producer Dana Brunetti noted the lack of national news coverage about the event as Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee:
“We have lost three lives so far this morning in Harford County,” Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said at a news conference. “There’s an individual out there on the loose who committed one of the most heinous acts we’ve ever seen in our county, certainly we consider him armed and dangerous.”
He said all five victims are believed to have been employees of Advance Granite Solutions, a home improvement company. Police believe the suspect is “associated” with the business, but were not sure of his employment status. Advanced Granite’s owner told the Associated Press the suspect was a machine operator who has been an employee for four months.
Authorities are saying the suspected killer also is wanted in connection with a shooting at a used car dealership in Wilmington, DL, about 55 miles away.
The Maryland Film Office’s Jack Gerbes told The Baltimore Sun that many location scenes for House of Cards have been filmed throughout Harford County and elsewhere in the region. He added that the Kevin Spacey-Robin Wright D.C. drama pumped $129 million into the Maryland economy during filming for Season 5; that 1,800 crew, actors and extras were hired; and goods were rented or bought from 1,757 Maryland businesses.
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