A Pennsylvania man is fighting for his life in hospital after being attacked by a homeless man inside his hotel while on his honeymoon.
Larry Gilmore and his new wife Shalawrae were married on July 23 and traveled to Pittsburgh for their honeymoon.
The day after the wedding, Gilmore was waiting for the elevator in the lobby of the Even Hotel when he was allegedly attacked from behind by a homeless man, Heiko Calhoun.
Calhoun, 26, is seen on video approaching Gilmore, putting him in a chokehold and dragging him to the floor, repeatedly banging his head off the ground.
Local media reported that Calhoun had violated his parole. His previous offenses were not specified.
Shalawrae and Larry Gilmore, from McKeesport, Pennsylvania, are pictured on their wedding day, on July 23
The couple are parents to three children, and Shalawrae is six months pregnant with their fourth
The couple are seen walking down the aisle after their marriage ceremony
While Gilmore was lying motionless, Calhoun, originally from New Jersey, returned several times to kick and stomp on his face and back, according to the criminal complaint.
He then stole from Gilmore’s pockets and his pants.
‘I walked over to see what was going on and I found him in a puddle of blood,’ said six-month-pregnant Shalawrae, a mother of three, whose fourth child is due in December.
Gilmore was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he remains in critical condition with a head injury.
‘Right now, he’s still in critical but stable condition. He’s intubated still and we’re hoping he can pull through,’ she said.
Shalawrae, a care home assistant from the Pittsburgh suburb of McKeesport, wrote on a GoFundMe: ‘He is currently fighting for his life in the ICU with extensive trauma to his body.’
Calhoun was arrested shortly after the attack, and told police that Gilmore had said something to him before the incident.
Heiko Calhoun, 26, was arrested shortly after the attack and has been charged with attempted murder
Shalawrae and Larry Gilmore are pictured shortly before their wedding
A tearful Shalawrae Gilmore told CBS News she had been unable to sleep since the attack
Relatives of the Gilmores are seen protesting outside the Even Hotel, demanding it close pending a safety review
He is being held in Allegheny County jail on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and recklessly endangering another person.
The Gilmore family have been protesting outside the Even Hotel, demanding it close for a security evaluation.
The hotel, where midweek rooms cost around $80, charges $400 at weekends.
‘We want it shut down until they can ensure their customer safety because my husband is right now fighting for his life,’ she told CBS News.
‘I haven’t ate, I haven’t slept.
‘This is taking a hard toll on me.’
The hotel said the ground-level doors are locked from 8pm to 8am each day, and are only accessible by guest key.
‘Our thoughts are with this guest and their family during this difficult time,’ the hotel said in a statement.
‘We appreciate the swift actions by our hotel staff, the Pittsburgh police department and local EMTs who rendered aid to our guest. We will continue to cooperate with local authorities in their investigation, and any additional questions on this matter can be directed to the Pittsburgh police department.’
