1 Woman Dead, 5 Men Wounded in Shootout Outside Puerto Rican Club [Updated]
Bethlehem police are investigating the early morning shootings outside the Puerto Rican Beneficial Society in what has been described as a chaotic scene.
Story updated at 9:50 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2
A 23-year-old woman was killed and five men wounded following a shootout early Sunday outside the Puerto Rican Beneficial Society, Bethlehem police said.
The identity of the woman killed has not been released, pending notification of next of kin, but lehighvalleylive.com reported that a friend identified her as Yolanda Morales.
Her death has been ruled a homicide, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.
On Sunday, there were candles, flowers and notes set up as a memorial at the shooting scene. "Yoli, my Baby Girl," read a note. "Ur gonna be missed. Dearly love you and Gonna miss u always and forever. Rest with the Angels."
Multiple 911 calls about the shootings in the 200 block of E. Third Street on Bethlehem's South Side came into the Bethlehem 911 Center at 2:21 a.m., police said. A report on lehighvalleylive.com described a gun battle with at least 30 shots fired in a chaotic scene.
Audio of emergency transmissions, calling for ambulances, was made available on Lehigh Valley Bravest.
When police arrived, they found six people shot. All were taken by Bethlehem City paramedics to St. Luke’s University Hospital-Fountain Hill.
The woman died at the hospital, police said. She was pronounced dead at 2:49 a.m. in the hospital's emergency room. An autopy is scheduled for Monday.
The five men wounded were admitted to the hospital in serious to critical condition.
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli told The Morning Call that all of the people being looked at as potential suspects are currently hospitalized. The public should have "no concern whatsoever" that a gunman is at large, the DA told the newspaper.
Nester Video Production reported on its Facebook page that the crime scene in Bethlehem had stretched a city block. Police also were called to the emergency room at the hospital when a crowd there became unruly, the report said.
In a video posted by Nestor Video Production, Jeffery Noe said he witnessed the shootings unfold. He said a man walked out of the Puerto Rican club, and people who followed started hitting the man with a bat. Someone fired a warning shot, then another person started shooting at others. He said he heard about 30 shots in all. "Apparently everybody was friends...from what I gathered from the crowd," Noe said.
Check back with Patch for updates.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bethlehem police at 610-865-7187 and/or Det. Fabian Martinez at 610-997-7678 and/or confidentially at the Bethlehem Police Tip Line at 610-691-6660.
Angel
12:37 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
They became unruly at the hospital and police had to be called? That's real classy....
rick troxell
8:30 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
There is no class in any part of this story. Bats to guns what the hell ever happen to fists or talking it out.
Booze,drugs,bats and guns. A young life lost for no apparent reason and a family i would imagine devestated. Damn shame.
logansteele
1:38 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Tell me about it! If a gang was involved it's not that uncommon, sadly. They will go to great lengths to be certain those they attempt to kill do indeed die.
Mary Anne Looby
1:45 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Wonder if this conects to the melee the other night when a group of Lataina woman caused a ruckas with a police officer?
Eleuterio Flores
2:40 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
I SAW the whole thing!!!! From begging too End.....It Was Crazy...
Eleuterio Flores
2:43 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Allan Bach
2:52 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
This is a classic recipe for murder:
1 part alcohol
1 part anger
1 part gun
First, add small amounts of alcohol over a few hours time
Next mix in anger and bring to a boil
Finally, add gunfire
Carl W
3:11 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
And that nasty U.N. wants to take guns out of the hands of those people. Worse yet, the President agrees.
Next rime you want to fly, "Puerto Rican Pride," think of this part.
Last year, crime in Puerto Rico so bad, Governor had to call out National Guard. Keep a Naval & Coast Guard section there, like Guantanmo in Cuba, & cut the apron springs. We spend MILLIONS, +, every year on that da**ned little island nation !!
charles hampton
3:39 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
So, we're connecting the dots to the Latino population as a whole? How xenophobic is that? There are crimes reported every day, many of which are committed by Anglos and other ethnic groups. These are simply bad people with guns, end of story!
kerry follweiler
5:23 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
If they dont want to be disrepected they should learn how to act, that goes for all races. Yes a woman is dead, that leaves multiple victims since Im sure she left behind family, however there is still a responsible party here. The shooter or shooters. I dont have pity for them
Carl W
4:12 pm on Monday, December 3, 2012
"Ben," first, chill out. just because "I have read many articles of white rednecks who slept with their sisters, had sex with farm animals and burned down churches filled with people they didn't like, solely because of the color of those people's skin. Perhaps, "If they dont want to be disrepected they should learn how to act" too. (I'm white myself)."
Thjat's wrong, so's this. Want both?????
careless fills
5:51 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
I'm baffled. Why would some of the comments here that border on racism or ethnic bias be published by LMT patch, but the thoughtful, but pointed item I posted yesterday in another item about Costco still be hidden and "pending review"? Surely my opinion there is a much more useful and valid contribution than most of what is here, no matter if you agree with what I have to say. Perhaps too valid? What's up?
Mallory Vough
8:40 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
careless fills - The moderation settings on the article you previously commented on may be set to pre-approval. I'll send a note to the editor of Lower Macungie Patch and see what's up. We normally allow comments to auto-approve, but a button may have accidentally been switched on that article.
rick troxell
8:30 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Damn shame that any young person should lose their life needlessly. hopefully those that pulled the triggers get caught and dealt with. If not by the law then by their peers up in the woods
nena
9:51 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
To begin my heart and prayers are with the family of the young lady who passed. It is a tragedy. While people are on such ignorant level discussing racism which we have surpassed many moons ago when Latinos evolved into the world of politics and proved themselves to be in the majority and not the minority. I am a Puerto Rican mother of a 23 year old female along with young teens and I feel for the family of Yolanda Morales. The issue is not ethnicity it's violence and violent crimes . God bless our children and let's pray and hope for a better tomorrow.
kerry follweiler
10:04 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
If so Ben then read the next line after if they dont want to be disrespected. We all already know she was at the wrong place. This news article tell where she was. And it was obviously at the wring time. To say that your children gave more back to the community than I ever will makes you small minded, not me. Nothing, nothing in my post was racist. Not a damn thing. You Ben are looking for that in all posts hers so you have something to piss and moan about. No pity here. Stop reading between the lines and stop letting your imagination run wild. The bottom line here is there was in fact a crime. The person or people responsible should be punished. Period.
kerry follweiler
10:28 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
By the way Ben I have family who puerto rican also
kerry follweiler
10:32 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
There you go reading between the lines again. I dont have pity came after the shooters are responsible. And guess what. If someone is going to take a life, I dont have pity on them
kerry follweiler
10:36 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Im not ashamed of myself. Not one little bit. They is the criminals. Aka murders. You should be ashamed for defending murderers based on race. I on the otherhand have nothing to be ashamed of. And I have no connection to anyone else making these comments
kerry follweiler
10:46 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
And for the love of God please stop assuming that Im white because I married a german.
kerry follweiler
11:42 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
No but you assume because I think murder is the most horrible act one can commit that must mean I dislike puerto ricans. You have no idea of my race. You just assume. Yes of course I listened. I even read whole posts. To think that "they" means "puerto ricans" and not shooters is my idea of defending. And your right . My race is irrelavent, yet re read your own comments about "white rednecks"
kerry follweiler
11:53 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Disgusting how people talk on here. A young woman has lost her life yet it offends someone that the trigger puller may have been puerto rican? I didnt even assume the shooter was puerto rican. Last I checked they dont do a dna test to get into clubs. If ya have cash and want to spend it, your in. To see someone spend an entire sunday defending a race when they should be spending it with their perfect upstanding community do gooding noble peace prize winner children
kerry follweiler
4:12 pm on Monday, December 3, 2012
Stalker. Thats just plain creepy. Thanks for the heads up though. Ive left everyone know to lookout for profule picture stalkers.
kerry follweiler
4:12 pm on Monday, December 3, 2012
@ jo. I think you may be on to something. Its worth someone checking into
Jeepers63
9:02 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Alcohol is the issue here, not what color skin you have or where your from or if your in a gang. Once a person consumes to much alcohol ya never know what can happen. You can not predict the near future of a drunk. Many deaths are alcohol related.
Kaos8
9:02 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Last I checked we all bleed red. I hope the people responsible are found and held accountable.