Media Release:
On Friday, June 3, 2022, just before midnight, Washington County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a residence in the 16900 block of Longfellow Court, Hagerstown, Maryland, for a 911 hang-up call. During the 911 call, a female was heard stating a male was threatening her, and then the phone line disconnected.
Upon arrival, deputies attempted to get an answer at the front door with no success. The deputies then approached a side door and could hear a male—later identified as Gerald Wayne Koogle, 42–yelling from inside the home. The deputies tried to get Koogle’s attention and get him to come to the door, but he refused.
Koogle proceeded to fire numerous rounds thru a window at the deputies while they were only several feet away. The deputies were able to retreat to cover and were unharmed. Shortly after, a female exited the home and was taken to a safe location while additional units arrived and set up a perimeter.
Thru negotiations, two other residents in the home were safely removed, and Koogle ultimately surrendered to police without further violence. It was learned that rounds fired by Koogle struck and entered a neighboring home, and a resident was in the house; the resident was unharmed.
As part of the investigation, deputies executed a search and seizure warrant for Koogle’s residence. They recovered 23 spent shell casings inside the bedroom from which the suspect fired at the deputies. The spent casings found in the bedroom were for a .300AAC Blackout rifle. Deputies also recovered a short-barreled AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, chambered in .300AAC Blackout, inside a safe in the home. There was a live cartridge in the rifle’s chamber and one remaining live cartridge in the magazine still loaded in the rifle. Upon its recovery, the rifle’s safety selector was set to “fire” as well. Numerous other firearms and ammunition were seized from the home.
Koogle is currently being held at the Washington County Detention Center with bond. He has been charged with three counts of Attempted 1st Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Murder, Assault 1st, and 2nd Degree, possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle, and other related offenses.