She said she did not know Mr Mortimer personally but some staff members did.
"It's just a shock."
Police arrested two local men aged 17 and 27. The two were charged with assault with intent to injure but police said further charges were likely.
Ms Harris said the two men arrested were Franklyn Village residents.
She said Mr Mortimer had been living at the village "quite a while" but she wasn't sure where he was from originally.
She said the village, in Nelson South near the city's hospital, was a "homely" place with several long-term residents.
"It's quite a large complex. We have about 180 or so people living here," she said. "We do have some people that come temporarily but others stay here for years and years - and they consider it their homes."
Ms Harris said Franklyn Village had about 60 security cameras.
"These incidents don't really happen, things like this, because everybody knows we keep a good eye on the place," she said.
Mr Mortimer suffered a head injury in the incident and was transferred to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition. His condition deteriorated.
Nelson Bays police said 20 staff were working on the investigation and forensic scientists were helping with a scene examination.
The two men arrested will appear in Nelson District Court tomorrow.
- NZME
