A newlywed was viciously attacked by a homeless man who sneaked into the hotel lobby where he and his bride were honeymooning. Days after his nuptials, the man is in stable but critical condition, and his family is asking how this could happen at the reputable hotel.
On Saturday, July 22, Larry Gilmore and his new wife were married and prepared to celebrate the rest of their lives together. However, two days later, after checking into the EVEN hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, tragedy struck the family, drastically dampening their honeymoon.
While the new groom was waiting for the hotel elevator around 7 p.m. on Monday, July 24, Heiko Calhoun, 26, attacked him from behind, according to CBS News.
Shalawrae Ray Gilmore, the new wife, says she wants the hotel to shut down until they can better ensure that guests are safe while staying there. Those precautions would have kept her husband from spending their honeymoon in the UPMC Mercy Hospital.
Moreover, it has separated him from her. In addition to being a new bride, she is also pregnant with the baby due December 2023.
Shalawrae recounts, “I haven’t slept; I have an 8-month pregnancy, so this is really taking a toll on me.”
The assailant claimed that Gilmore, a father of three, had said something to him in the lobby and had provoked the assault, police say. However, surveillance footage shows Calhoun as the aggressor.
According to the criminal complaint, the video shows Calhoun approaching Gilmore from behind, putting him in a chokehold, and mercilessly slamming his head against the ground in a horrifying assault.
While the victim lay motionless on the ground, Calhoun returned several times to kick and stomp on Gilmore’s face and back. In addition to kicking him, he went into his pockets and robbed him of his personal belongings. He even ripped off Gilmore’s pants and left his head bleeding, according to WPXI.
“I walked over to see what was going on and I found him in a puddle of blood,” Shalawrae said.
Calhoun was apprehended on Smithfield Street and taken into custody by law enforcement authorities. He has been charged with criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and reckless endangerment.
Gilmore’s family, led under the rally of his new wife, is outraged by the incident. As they demand justice, they are also asking for the hotel’s closure until proper safety measures are implemented.
“I want them to shut it down until they can ensure their customers’ safety because there’s no way that someone was able to walk in behind him, sneak behind him, and attack him,” Shayla said.
Representatives from the hotel’s corporate headquarters issued a statement expressing their regard for the victim and his family, acknowledging the swift actions taken by their staff, the Pittsburgh Police Department, and local emergency workers who helped Gilmore.
According to the hotel, the second set of doors to the building, located at ground level, are locked every day from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Individuals are only supposed to be able to access the property during those hours by using a guest key. Despite these measures, and the lobby being on the fifth floor, Calhoun was able to get in and attack Gilmore.
The hotel executives also pledge to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and encourage anyone with additional information to contact the police department.
Shalawrae has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for Gilmore’s medical expenses. The family hopes to raise $10,000. Within two days, they raised over half of their goal.
