Ramos made the admission in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, days before his trial was set to begin, according to the Capital Gazette and the Washington Post. Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Laura Ripken accepted Ramos' plea, according to the Post.Ramos pleaded guilty to 23 counts, the Post reported. He was indicted on first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder and assault and weapons charges after the shooting on June 28, 2018. CNN has reached out to Ramos' attorney and the Anne Arundel County district attorney. Ramos allegedly stormed the Capital Gazette's offices, killing Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters. It was the single deadliest day for journalists in the United States since 9/11. The attack took place a few years after Ramos had unsuccessfully sued the newspaper for defamation. An article in the paper had chronicled Ramos' harassment of a former classmate on social media. Ramos pleaded guilty to a harassment charge in that case, court documents said.
'A big relief'
Several reporters who were in the Capital Gazette newsroom on the day of the shooting said they were relieved that Ramos pleaded guilty. Former Capital Gazette reporter Phil Davis said that, while the criminal proceedings are not over, it brings "a certain level of closure." "Having to not go through this part of the trial, which would have been an argument of his guilt, certainlyRead More – Source
