Three people were found dead at a concrete molding company in Western Maryland on Thursday afternoon following a report of a shooting that left a fourth person hospitalized with critical injuries, according to a spokeswoman for the local sheriff’s office.

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       Sgt. Carly Hose with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the suspected gunman drove away and was stopped a short time later at Mapleville and Mount Aetna roads, outside of Hagerstown, about 10 miles south of the company in the Smithsburg area.

       There, Hose said, the man exchanged gunfire with a Maryland State Police trooper, who was injured in the shoulder and returned fire. The suspected gunman also was injured. Both were being treated at a hospital.

       Lt. Joshua McCauley, also with the county sheriff’s office, identified the company as Columbia Machine Inc. The company’s website says it designs and manufactures concrete products including mixers and molds. It serves customers in more than 100 countries and started in 1937.

       Attempts to reach a company representative were not immediately successful. A video on its website shows sprawling buildings filled with large machines.

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       Smithsburg Mayor Donnie Souders said the shooting was a shock for such a small community. The town has a population of about 3,000 and Columbia Machine is roughly three miles outside of town.

       He did not know the names of the victims yet, but he was sure they would have connections in the community given its size.

       “We are a small town, but we rally when events like this occur,” Souders said.

       Souders said he hoped the carnage of recent weeks, not just in his community but across the country, will spur lawmakers in D.C. to pass new legislation on guns.

       “I think we are at a point where we need to balance those liberties versus the safety,” he said.

       The shooting in Maryland is the latest in a series of mass shootings that have occurred across the country and prompted a nationwide discussion on access to firearms. A succession of mass shootings started in May at a Buffalo supermarket that left 10 dead, followed by a shooting in Uvalde, Tex., that left 21 dead, including 19 students. That was followed by another shooting at hospital in Tulsa that left four people dead.

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       The shooting at Columbia Machine occurred around 2:30 p.m., authorities said. Deputies responded to the 12900 block of Bikle Road, east of Hagerstown near the Pennsylvania border. Hose said deputies responded to what was reported as an “active shooter.”

       Hose declined to say whether the suspected shooter, who is a man, worked at the facility where the shooting occurred and said authorities are still probing where on the property the gunfire erupted. Hose said the motive for the shooting is still being investigated. She also could not say if the victims worked at the company.

       Hose said the sheriff’s office was not prepared to release details on the firearm used in the shooting. She did not identify the suspected shooter.

       The sheriff’s office asked people to avoid the area due to the large police presence.

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       The FBI’s Baltimore field office’s evidence response team is also on scene, according to a spokeswoman. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also is assisting.

       Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said he was devastated by the news out of Smithsburg, noting it “comes as our state and nation have witnessed tragedy after tragedy.”

       He added in his statement, “I am committed to meeting your pain with action” to address the “daily toll of gun violence on our communities.”

       Erin Cox contributed to this report.

       This story is developing and will be updated.