By WEAA News Staff
A Baltimore man has been sentenced to 70 years in prison for shooting a man twice inside a Penn North restaurant last year.
LaForrest Morgan was convicted of attempted second-degree murder and multiple firearms-related charges stemming from a June 28, 2024 shooting at No. 1 Chinese Carryout on Pennsylvania Avenue. He will serve the first 25 years without the possibility of parole.
According to prosecutors, Morgan got into a physical altercation with a 29-year-old man inside the restaurant around 9 p.m. before pulling out a handgun and shooting the victim twice in the stomach. Morgan attempted to fire a third shot but missed. He then robbed the victim of his bag and its contents before leaving the scene. The victim survived.
Detectives collected surveillance footage and interviewed witnesses during the investigation. Two Baltimore City police officers who knew Morgan from prior arrests identified him as the shooter in the footage.
Morgan was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a 2002 manslaughter conviction and a 1999 drug conviction.
State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates called the victim's survival a miracle, saying the evidence made clear Morgan was attempting to kill the young man. Bates praised Baltimore Police and his office's Gun Violence Enforcement Division for their work on the case.
This story was produced with AI assistance and edited by WEAA News Staff.