'Today we are speechless': Capital Gazette leaves opinion page blank in memorial of 5 killed staff

Jose Luis Magana/AP

Police officers secure the area after multiple people were shot at an office building housing The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, June 28, 2018.

The Capital Gazette responded to a "targeted attack" from a gunman that left five of its staff dead on Thursday by resuming work and printing a paper on Friday morning undeterred - only the opinion page was left blank.

The page was left intentionally blank besides a small message printed in the middle:

It says:

"Today, we are speechless.

This page is intentionally left blank today to commemorate victims of Thursday's shootings at our office:

Gerald Fischman
Rob Hiaasen
John McNamara
Rebecca Smith
Wendi Winters

Tomorrow this page will return to its steady purpose of offering our readers informed opinion about the world around them, that they may be better citizens."

Some of the slain journalists contributed to the opinion page. 

The Gazette has covered local news in Maryland since before the declaration of independence, which it printed on page 2 in July 1776, leaving the front page for local news, the paper's focus.