'It was sickening': Intern at Maryland newspaper is unsure if he'll return to work after shooting

Twitter

Anthony Messenger, an intern at the Capital Gazette, was barricaded under a desk with a colleague during a shooting in the newsroom at the Maryland newspaper.

• During his fourth week as a summer intern at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, Anthony Messenger found himself in the midst of what he described as "hell" when a man walked into the newsroom with a gun, ultimately killing five of his colleagues. 
• A rising senior at Salisbury University, Messenger said he's unsure as to whether he'll return to work and is still trying to "decompress." 
• "It was unfortunate to see such goodhearted people ultimately suffer such untimely, senseless deaths," he said. 

During his fourth week as a summer intern at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, Anthony Messenger found himself in the midst of what he described as "hell" when a man walked into the newsroom with a gun, ultimately killing five of his colleagues. 

Amid the shooting, a tweet was sent from Messenger's Twitter account pleading for assistance as he and a colleague were barricaded under a desk. 

The tweet said, "Active shooter 888 Bestgate please help us."

Messenger on Friday told NBC's "Today" that he did not actually send the viral tweet himself. He gave his phone to his colleague, Celine San Feliz, to contact loved ones and she went onto his Twitter account and sent it. Messenger credited Feliz for her quick thinking. 

A rising senior at Salisbury University, Messenger said he's unsure as to whether he'll return to work and is still trying to "decompress." 

"I'm still trying to digest everything," Messenger said. "It's not something that anybody can prepare themselves for. Even today it still feels surreal that we all went through that senseless act of... violence. It was insane."

Messenger said it was particularly difficult to see the dead bodies of his colleagues as he exited the premises.  

"Unfortunately we had to pass two bodies of our colleagues, which was something that nobody should ever have to stomach," the intern said, adding, "It's just unfortunate that somebody would come into a place that only reports truthful stories that are fact-based and unleash hell on the office. ... It was sickening." 

Messenger said it never crossed his mind he "might see people die" when he took the internship. 

"It was unfortunate to see such goodhearted people ultimately suffer such untimely, senseless deaths," he said. 

Watch the full interview below: