CAPITAL HEIGHTS, MARYLAND – An armed man was apprehended Friday morning after allegedly fatally shooting two women inside the Gateway Village senior living apartment building. The complex is located on Suffolk Avenue and is home to around 90 residents.
Police were called to a reported active shooter situation at 9:10 a.m. and arriving officers were met by a man running from the building who told them that there was an active shooter inside, according to Capitol Heights Police Chief Mark Cummings.
Two deceased female victims were located inside the building, one in a corridor and another in the office.
Additional officers from Capital Heights, nearby Seat Pleasant and the Prince George’s County Police Department also responded, some evacuating residents while others searched for additional victims and the gunman. PGPD’s conflict management team was summoned to respond to a possible “barricade” situation, according to Prince George’s Deputy Chief Lakina Webster.
Police were able to locate and apprehend the man on the third floor about 40 minutes after receiving the call. A man who identified himself as a resident of the building told reporters the suspect had stepped outside of an apartment, got down on the floor with his hands out and placed a firearm away from himself. Police declined to confirm those details. They would not say whether the victims or the suspect were residents or employees of Gateway Village; however, multiple officials with knowledge of the investigation said that the victims were employees of the building.
Earlier that week, the county exceeded 100 homicides for the year-to-date, more than the number for all of 2020. Commenting on the violence, Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) said, “We woke up this morning to yet another case of inexplicable grief. We are absolutely devastated about the loss of life again today.”
Alsobrooks repeatedly used the word “depravity” to describe both the shooting at Gateway Village and the ongoing violence families are facing in the county. “There really is no good explanation for why this kind of occurrence can happen again and again. The heart of a person that’s capable of committing this kind of crime is just really inexplicable.”
Gateway Village residents who could be evacuated were transported by bus to a local fire stations where many were being reunited with their loved ones. Officials checked on residents who sheltered in place, ensuring that they had anything needed in the way of medical attention and medications.
Cindy Young, VP of marketing for National Church Residence, owner of Gateway Village, commented that their officials were “extremely heartbroken by the events.” “We are proud of the heroic and swift actions of our staff to ensure that our residents were protected and kept safe. Our hearts go out to the families of our two team members who lost their lives in this tragic and unfortunate incident.”
Vincent Green, who lives near the apartments on Elder Street when he heard what sounded like six gunshots. Soon he learned someone had killed two people in the senior living apartments. He described Gateway Village as a nice and secure building, where anyone entering must be buzzed in or use a secure key card to gain access.
