Locked pedestrian gate traps elders inside senior living complex for hours

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A group of seniors told Channel 2 Action News that management locked the pedestrian gate to their apartment complex, leaving them stuck inside for hours.

The residents of the Heritage at McDonough complex told Channel 2's Wendy Corona that they have a laundry list of things they said are not being addressed inside and out, but being stuck in the complex with no way out and being cut off from their mail and amenities forced them to complain publicly.

Residents of the low income senior complex gathered in the breezeway Wednesday to comfort one another.

Seniors using walkers and on oxygen were wondering what would happen next.

A lock placed on the pedestrian gate essentially trapped residents, who don’t drive, in the complex overnight.

“They technically were. They were locked in,” said Captain James Robinson of McDonough’s fire department. “There was no way for them to get out unless they had a car.”

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A resident told Corona that “We all felt like we were prisoners. We were locked in."

On Wednesday morning, McDonough’s fire chief gave management 24 hours to remove the locks.

“There was a gentleman who was waiting for a Henry County transit bus, maybe to go to a doctor's appointment, and he showed up at the gate without a car and he couldn't get out,” Robinson said.

The clubhouse was closed indefinitely Tuesday evening, which kept residents from accessing mail boxes and their mailed prescription medications.

“At this rate I wouldn't be able to get it until they say I can have it,” resident Timothy Jones said.

Five-year resident Jessie Evans described it this way: It was like “we (were) under punishment. Go stand in the corner.”

“We are seniors. We take blood pressure medication. Why do they need to keep getting our blood pressure up?” Evans said.

Management did not return calls for comment from Channel 2's Wendy Corona, but did respond to the fire chief's request.

By Wednesday afternoon, the clubhouse had partially reopened.

Residents can get to their mailboxes but not to the grand room, where many of their activities take place.

At end of business Wednesday, the management company did say by phone that after the pedestrian gate incident, they will be looking at alternative lock mechanisms for the pedestrian gate for resident security.

Cox Media Group