On a tragic Friday morning, October 8, 2021, 46-year-old Michelle Boateng was fatally shot at her workplace, the Gateway Village senior living community in Capitol Heights, Maryland. A female, Ms. Boateng not only worked at the facility but was also a resident. The incident that led to her untimely death also claimed the life of her 46-year-old colleague, Mackeda Evans.
The events unfolded around 9:14 a.m.
when police were dispatched to the 500 block of Suffolk Avenue following reports of a disturbance. Upon arrival, officers discovered both Ms. Boateng and Ms. Evans on the first floor, suffering from gunshot wounds. They were pronounced dead at the scene. The situation escalated to a barricade, prompting the response of the Prince George's County Police Department's Emergency Services Team.
The suspect, 63-year-old Roy Garnell Batson, a resident of the same senior living community, was taken into custody without incident. He was found lying in a hallway on the third floor of the building, and a gun was recovered nearby. The preliminary investigation revealed that Batson had a prior dispute with Ms. Evans concerning a violation notice. On the morning of the shooting, he confronted her again, which tragically escalated. Batson later admitted to retrieving a gun from his apartment and shooting both women.
Following the incident, Roy Batson was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and other related charges. He was taken into the custody of the Department of Corrections and held on a no-bond status. Born in Georgetown, Guyana, South America, Michelle Kimberly Adele Austin, known as Michelle Boateng, was a mother of three sons and a grandmother.
