THE newsroom massacre gunman posted revenge tweets marking enemies with chilling sacrifice symbols before killing five journalists yesterday afternoon.

Jarrod W. Ramos was today charged with five counts of first-degree murder after he stormed the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, with a shotgun and suspected explosive device.

21 Five people were shot dead after a gunman went on a murderous rampage at the Capital Gazette newspaper building in Maryland Credit: AFP or licensors

Video reportedly shows moment Capital Gazette shooter suspect Jarrod Ramos is arrested in Annapolis

A sobering series of tweets reveals a long-standing vendetta against the paper after it exposed Ramos as an internet oddball with a conviction for harassing women over Facebook.

He had attempted to sue the paper and columnist Eric Hartley in 2012 for defamation after it published the article titled "Jarrod wants to be your friend".

After Judge Charles Moylan laughed the case out of court, Ramos launched a hate campaign on Twitter against its reporters, editors and the judge himself.

He posted his wish that the editor would kill himself and in 2015 wrote "Je suis @capgaznews!", a chilling reference to the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris.

21 Ramos in a booking photo on June 29, the day after the shooting. He had a long-standing vendetta against the paper Credit: Reuters

21 Ramos used this picture of journalist Eric Hartley with a 'Brand of Sacrifice' on a Twitter account he controlled under Hartley's name Credit: Twitter/@EricHartleyFrnd

21 Ramos had also started a Twitter account using Judge Moylan's name, with quotes and photos of him as well as a former editor at the paper Credit: Twitter/JudgeMoylanFrnd

Fearful moments inside The Capital Gazette offices after fatal shooting sees panicked people fleeing the building to safety with the help of police

Ramos hadn't tweeted since January 2016, but minutes before the shooting he posted: "F*** you, leave me alone".

On two separate Twitter accounts he photoshopped a "Brand of Sacrifice" death symbol from the Japanese dark fantasy manga series on his targets' faces.

One account under the user name @EricHartleyFrnd used a photo of Eric Hartley with the horrifying symbol, while another Twitter handle under the name of Judge Charles Moylan also bore the death mark.

According to the Berserk Encyclopedia, the symbol marks out the "sacrificed" who is then "ritualistically murdered".

Maryland shooting - what we know so far...

Police raced to The Gazette newspaper offices in Annapolis, Maryland, after reports of an ‘active shooter'

Cops have charged 38-year-old Jarrod W. Ramos, who had a grudge against the paper, with five counts of first degree murder

Five people have been killed. Victims have been named as Robert Hiaasen, Wendi Winters, Rebecca Smith, Gerald Fischman and John McNamara

Ramos was due to appear for a bail hearing at 10.30 a.m local time on Friday at Annapolis District Courthouse

The attacker had reportedly damaged his fingers in an attempt to make it harder to identify him

The paper had received 'violent' threats through social media ever since Ramos unsuccessfully tried to sue the paper for defamation in 2012

21 Jarrod W. Ramos tweeted this moments before he launched his deadly attack Credit: Twitter

21 In 2015 Ramos made chilling references to the Charlie Hebdo shooting on Twitter Credit: Twitter

21 Aerial footage of the scene showed police leading people out of the building with their hands up Credit: NBC

21 Armed officers on the scene in Annapolis, Maryland Credit: Reuters

21 Emergency services and members of the public gathered outside the Capital Gazette newspaper building in the aftermath of the shooting Credit: Getty Images - Getty

21 Anne Arundel County Deputy Police Chief William Krampf addressed the media outside the scene of the shooting on Thursday Credit: EPA

The banner picture on the Twitter account showed the former US senator Barbara Mikulski and newspaper editor Thomas Marquardt - the other individual Ramos tried to sue from Capital Gazette Communications - also marked with the threatening symbol.

Chillingly, his harassment victim told WBALTV that she warned an ex-police officer years ago that he would the "next mass shooter".

She added that he's a "f***ing nut job" after he became fixated with her for no apparent reason.

Reporters issued desperate pleas for help on Twitter as they hid under their desks while the shooter went on a murderous rampage with a shotgun and "explosives".

21 Ramos, pictured here in a police photo in 2013, has been charged with five counts of first degree murder Credit: ANNE ARUNDEL POLICE DEPARTMENT

21 Ramos attempted to sue the paper and harassed staff over a 2011 article that exposed him for Facebook stalking a woman Credit: Facebook

What is the 'Brand of Sacrifice'? The 'Brand of Sacrifice' is a facet of Beserk, a dark fantasy manga series set in a Europe-inspired dark fantasy world. The strange symbol marks 'those for a sacrificial ceremony in which an apostle or God Hand is created'. The sacrificed is described as 'usually someone close and dear to the summoner, [who] is then ritualistically murdered, with the deceased's life force used to complete the summoner's transition into either an apostle or a member of the God Hand'.

Several more were injured as the attacker blasted through a glass window and chucked smoke grenades, with one reporter describing the scene as a "war zone".

Police found the suspect under a desk, and say he mutilated his fingers in an attempt to make it harder to identify him.

The five victims, all newspaper staff, have been named as Robert Hiaasen, 59, Wendi Winters, 65, Rebecca Smith, 34, Gerald Fischman, 61 and John McNamara, 56.

Bystanders watch as emergency helicopters respond to a shooting that has resulted in multiple fatalities in Annapolis, Maryland

21 Rob Hiaasen, columnist and assistant editor, has been named among the five victims

21 Victim Gerald Fischman, a page editor, was described as an intelligent and eccentric reporter

21 One of the five killed in the shooting, John McNamara, was described as a 'kind and diligent' old school reporter

21 Rebecca Smith, sales and advertising co-ordinator for the Sun Media Group, lost her life in the attack Credit: Facebook

21 Wendi Winters, a writer and mum-of-four, was also killed

A further one is used in the cover photo on an unidentified man, with the caption: "Everybody knows the stupid Court of Appeals are assholes... but at least they're pleasant assholes".

Anthony Messenger, an intern at The Baltimore Sun, tweeted at 2.43pm that there was an "active shooter 888 Bestgate please help us."

Shocked reporter Phil Davis was one of the reporters led out of the building by police.

He told The Sun: "I'm a police reporter. I write about this stuff — not necessarily to this extent, but shootings and death — all the time.

21 The suspect's ongoing vendetta against the local newspaper was partly documented on his Twitter account

"But as much as I'm going to try to articulate how traumatizing it is to be hiding under your desk, you don’t know until you're there and you feel helpless."

Capital Gazette journalist Phil Davis was one of the reporters led out of the building by police.

He described the scene to the Baltimore Sun as "like a warzone".

He later tweeted: "A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead.

21 Brave reporters are putting out today's paper in defiance of the vile attack. Capital Gazette reporter Chase Cook (right) and photographer Joshua McKerrow work on today's edition Credit: AFP or licensors

21 Reporter Chase Cook's defiant tweet was retweeted by thousands in the aftermath of the attack Credit: Twitter/@capgaznews

21 The front page of today's Capital Gazette remembers the five who lost their lives Credit: Twitter/@capgaznews

"Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees.

He added: "There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload."

An editor at the Capital Gazette Jimmy DeButts, tweeted that he was "devastated and heartbroken" at the news.

He said: "Numb. Please stop asking for information/interviews.

"I’m in no position to speak, just know @capgaznews reporters & editors give all they have every day.

"There are no 40 hour weeks, no big paydays - just a passion for telling stories from our community."

US President Donald Trump has tweeted his condolences to those affected by the tragedy.

He said: "Prior to departing Wisconsin, I was briefed on the shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders who are currently on the scene."

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While Ben Cardin, State Senator from Maryland, tweeted: "Devastating. My heart is with Capital Gazette and the people of Annapolis right now.

"As information continues to come in, I remain as grateful as ever for our first responders. If you're in the area, please stay inside and stay safe."

The Capital Gazette is a daily newspaper in the city of Annapolis in Maryland.

It was founded in 1884 and has more than 30,000 daily readers with a 35,000 circulation for its Sunday edition.

Fearful moments inside The Capital Gazette offices after fatal shooting sees panicked people fleeing the building to safety with the help of police

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