"The shooter has not been very forthcoming, so we don't have any information yet on motive," Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh said.

Ramos sued the newspaper for defamation in 2012, alleging he was harmed by an article about his conviction in a criminal harassment case. A judge dismissed the suit, telling Ramos that he hadn't shown "anything that was published about you is, in fact, false." An appeals court later upheld the dismissal.

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said the community is grieving.

"These are the guys that come to city council meetings, have to listen to boring politicians and sit there," Buckley said. "They don't make a lot of money. It's just immoral that their lives should be in danger."

The newspaper is part of Capital Gazette Communications, which also publishes the Maryland Gazette and CapitalGazette.com. It is owned by The Baltimore Sun.

The Associated Press Media Editors promised to help Capital Gazette journalists as they recover. An APME statement called on newspapers nationwide to help the paper continue its community coverage and fight for freedom of the press.

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