ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A 1-year-old boy and a 44-year-old woman were the victims in a deadly Friday night shooting – one of three incidents of gun violence in a chaotic six-hour period that left eight people shot and investigators scrambling.
The two victims were found in a house in the 100 block of Chestnut Street, said Lehigh County District Attorney-elect Gavin Holihan.
A third victim, a 66-year-old man, also was shot in the home but is expected to survive, police said.
Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio ruled the deaths as homicides but authorities have released no names or the relationship of the victims. No charges have been filed, police said.
Allentown police Capt. Daniel Gross said investigators do not believe any of the three shootings were connected.
Mayor Matt Tuerk said the common denominator in all the cases was hard to miss: firearms.
"What’s frustrating for me as a mayor in a city like Allentown, or any city in the country, is people are making bad decisions," Tuerk said. "And when you add that bad decision-making with a deadly weapon, it can get ugly quickly."
Neighbors said as police arrived at Chestnut Street about 9 p.m., between Ridge Avenue and North Wood Street in the First Ward, they were called to reports of more gunfire about four blocks north near Ridge Avenue and West Gordon Street
A man and a woman suffered serious gunshot wounds there at 9:03 p.m. and both are expected to survive, police said.
Police said they arrested Demetrius Bashir Campbell, 23, of Allentown, almost immediately upon their arrival. A second suspected shooter has yet to be identified or apprehended, according to police.
Campbell is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license and related charges.
Less than six hours later, around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, police were called to a third shooting in the 1600 block of Hanover Avenue in the city’s East Side. Three people were shot there, none fatally, according to police. All of the victims are expected to survive. One was found at the scene with serious gunshot wounds and two others showed up later at local hospitals with gunshot wounds, police said.
'Sickened, angry and heartbroken'
State Rep. Joshua Siegel said he was confident police would bring those responsible for the violence to justice.
“I awoke this morning like many members of our community, sickened, angry and heartbroken over another night of senseless violence in our city," Siegel, D-Lehigh, said in a prepared statement.
"I offer my sincerest condolences to the families afflicted by last night’s shootings, and I stand with the many Allentonians who are tired of watching their neighborhoods and streets be stained with the blood of gun violence."
The Morning Call of Allentown reported Friday night's killings brought the city's homicide count this year to 18.
“Allentown is a resilient city, and I know we won’t let these tragedies define us," Siegel said. "I have endless faith in our community partners, our police department, and our stakeholders to work together to bring safety and security to every neighborhood and every block."
Tuerk said his immediate thoughts were with the families of the victims. But he said he also was concerned about neighborhoods victimized by violence and city employees called in the aftermath of bloodshed.
"Another piece is caring for our first responders," he said. "When you have a night like this it’s extremely challenging for the police who respond —particularly in this instance.
"An infant dying is eye-opening and painful for our entire community, and that includes the first responders — the police, EMTs and firefighters. We need to be mindful of those folks as well as we recover from a tough night."
Police said the shooting on Chestnut Street occurred about 8:42 p.m. Buglio pronounced the woman and child dead at the scene. Their relationship was not disclosed. Chestnut Street is a narrow one-lane street lined with rowhomes across from Harrison-Morton Middle School.
"Both victims have been identified and their families notified," Buglio said in a prepared statement Saturday morning. "However, due to these tragic circumstances, I am not releasing their identities at this time, thus allowing the families to grieve privately.
"I personally want to offer my prayers and condolences to the families, friends and everyone affected by this incident."
The mayor said despite the violence overnight, Allentown serious crime was down in 2023 from the year before. He said aggravated assaults fell 8 percent and police took more than 300 guns off the streets.
"We’re doing everything we can to create an environment in which families can thrive," he said. "Our police chief (Charles Roca) is leading a team to engage our community to reduce crime.
“On any given night a bunch of bad things can happen. Tonight my hope is due to the work our police do and our community does, we’re going to see an incident report on Sunday morning that has relatively nothing (on it).
"And we'll keep putting in the work and investing time and energy to support our officers, help our neighborhoods heal and think about the victims and how we receive justice for them."
