Baltimore Man Gets 70 Years for Penn North Carryout Shooting, Robbery

LaForrest Morgan fired two rounds into a 29-year-old man's stomach inside No. 1 Chinese Carryout on Pennsylvania Avenue, tried to squeeze off a third shot, then grabbed the victim's blue and orange cross-body Air Jordan bag and walked out the door. On Tuesday, a Baltimore judge made him answer for all of it: 70 years in prison, the first 25 served without any possibility of parole.

The shooting happened at approximately 8:57 p.m. on June 28, 2024, at 2416 Pennsylvania Avenue in Penn North. Baltimore Police officers responded to a reported shooting and, through surveillance footage and witness interviews, pieced together what occurred inside the carryout. Morgan had been in a physical altercation with the victim when he pulled out a handgun, shot the man twice in the stomach and attempted a third round that missed. He then robbed the victim of the Air Jordan bag and its contents before leaving the scene.

The victim survived. City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates did not treat that outcome as a given. "It is evident from the facts in this case that the Defendant was clearly attempting to kill this young man," Bates said in a statement. "It is nothing short of a miracle that the victim survived this blatant shooting."

Morgan, now 48, was prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time of the shooting. Court records show he had a prior manslaughter conviction from 2002 and a 1999 conviction for possession with intent to distribute. His identity as the shooter was confirmed when two Baltimore City police officers who knew Morgan from prior arrests and interactions recognized him in the surveillance footage.

A jury convicted Morgan of attempted second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, possession of a firearm with a disqualifying conviction, wear/carry/transport of a handgun, ammunition, and discharging. Assistant State's Attorney Gleda Kuperman of the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Gun Violence Enforcement Division prosecuted the case.

Bates credited Baltimore Police and the Gun Violence Enforcement Division for their work securing the conviction. Attorneys representing Morgan did not respond to requests for comment.