On a tragic spring day in 1976, Baltimore City Hall became the scene of a violent outburst that claimed the life of City Councilman Dominic M. Leone, a 50-year-old male. The councilman, a 15-year veteran of city politics, was fatally shot on April 13th by a man identified as 35-year-old Charles Hopkins. The devastating event unfolded around midday when Hopkins entered the municipal building, reportedly distraught over financial troubles and an impending eviction from his home.
He had been ejected from a Board of Estimate meeting the previous day after demanding a solution to his problems.
Hopkins's rampage began when he went to the mayor's offices and, after being asked to wait, opened fire, wounding a mayoral secretary, Kathleen Nolan. He then proceeded to the council area, specifically asking for Councilman Leone. When Leone appeared, Hopkins shot him. The councilman was struck by two bullets in the mid-section and was either deceased or dying as he was transported from the scene. He was officially pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after the attack.
Following the shooting of Leone, Hopkins took another councilman, Carroll J. Fitzgerald, hostage. In a subsequent confrontation with law enforcement, Fitzgerald was also shot and wounded, as was a police officer, Thomas Gaither. The harrowing ordeal concluded when police officers cornered Hopkins in a seventh-floor office and shot him multiple times. The suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The motive for the targeted attack on Councilman Leone was not immediately clear, though Hopkins's general grievances with the city over his personal circumstances appeared to be the catalyst for his violent actions.
