A Baltimore man has been ordered to serve 70 years in prison for a shooting inside a Penn-North carryout that left a customer clinging to life after being shot twice in the stomach, according to city prosecutors. A judge ruled that the first 25 years of the sentence must be served without the possibility of parole, closing out a case that led to convictions on attempted murder and multiple weapons charges.
Conviction and sentence
The City State's Attorney's Office said a jury found LaForrest Morgan guilty of attempted murder, possession of a firearm after a conviction, and several other gun-related counts, and a judge then imposed the 70-year term with 25 years parole-ineligible, according to CBS Baltimore. Court records show Morgan had prior convictions, including a 2002 manslaughter conviction and a 1999 possession-with-intent-to-distribute charge, which meant he was legally barred from having a firearm.
Evidence and testimony
Prosecutors say the violence unfolded on June 28, 2024, inside No. 1 Chinese Carryout on the 2400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. Surveillance video and witness interviews showed Morgan shooting the victim twice before walking out with a blue-and-orange Air Jordan bag, according to Baltimore Witness. Two police officers who knew Morgan from prior arrests later identified him during the investigation, and the victim ultimately took the stand at trial despite initial reluctance to testify.
Prosecutor reaction
City State's Attorney Ivan Bates told CBS Baltimore that prosecutors believed "the defendant was clearly attempting to kill this young man" and called the victim's survival a "miracle." Bates' office said the lengthy term is meant to reflect both the seriousness of the attack and the risk posed by people who are legally barred from having guns but carry them anyway.
Legal context
Under Maryland law, anyone convicted of a "disqualifying crime" is prohibited from possessing a regulated firearm. Prosecutors cited that statutory ban when charging Morgan with possession of a firearm after a conviction, according to the text of Public Safety §5-133 on the Maryland General Assembly website. Violating that prohibition can bring felony penalties and was a central component of the case.
The sentence was handed down in Baltimore City Circuit Court and sends Morgan to state custody. The ruling closes a violent chapter in a Penn-North storefront that left one man badly wounded but alive.
