Shooting inside Baltimore senior living complex kills 79-year-old, resident in custody, police say

A 79-year-old man was killed, and a 72-year-old man was critically injured in a double shooting inside a Baltimore senior living apartment complex on Thursday, according to police. 

Officers responded to the shooting around 11 a.m. at Pleasant View Gardens, in the 100 block of North Central Avenue, which prompted lockdowns at nearby Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and the National Academy Foundation, Baltimore City School officials said. District officials said the shooting was not connected to the schools.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said officers secured and searched the building and eventually took a 65-year-old resident of the senior facility into custody. The suspect has been identified as Norman Waker of Baltimore. 

Waker was charged with murder after fatally shooting Clyde Barnes and injuring another man.

Police believe the Waker knew the two victims as they were all residents.

"Our officers did a phenomenal job here, were here within minutes, secured the building, was able to take the suspect into custody," Worley said. "Can't talk enough about how well everything's coordinated by our men and women that go out and do this every day."

Worley said residents were ordered to shelter in place while police and SWAT officers swept through the building, going door-to-door until the suspect was located.

"If there a PA system or something, we can get information to the residents to shelter in place, they all pretty much did that," Worley said. "Then our officers and our SWAT team swept the building, apartment by apartment until they found the suspect."

On its website, Pleasant View Gardens describes itself as a "62 and older community." WJZ has reached out to the apartment's team about this shooting, but there's been no response yet.