Those who knew Arthur Baker called the 33-year-old Montefiore School custodial worker a quiet, nice, hard-working family man. Arthur had been an employee of the school system since 1982. He was a husband and lived in the house that his wife grew up. The couple had two sons, one of which was a freshman at the school he worked. Arthur and his high school sweetheart were looking forward to so many things and had so many hopes.

On Thursday, September 23, 1998, Arthur was just doing his job at Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago, Illinois when a man who he did not know approached him and invaded the school. Arthur was shot and cried out to the principal, “Mr. Karlin, Mr. Karlin, call for help.  I’ve been shot.” He came around the corner to the principal’s office and dropped to the floor. Said by one administrator, “It just crushes you to see this.”

Arthur’s attacker was shot and killed by police while they tried to apprehend him.

To help honor Arthur Baker